


The Great Infection

by JazzyKatz



Series: Infection and Control [1]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood Pacts, F/M, Gen, Genocide, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Instability, Not a Love Story, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 10:52:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 52,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17466185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JazzyKatz/pseuds/JazzyKatz
Summary: When the Resisty goes too far Tallest Red sets his sights on getting revenge on the Irken who set the virus loose. Zim is blamed for a crime he did not commit, and two unwitting humans are pulled into a plot to repopulate the Irken Empire.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> To give you an idea, I wrote this exact fic somewhere in 2013, but I had the idea circa 2005 and wrote many rough drafts. I posted this a long long time ago but took it down, mainly because people didn't understand that the main characters are supposed to be one-dimensional. None of these said relationships are healthy, due to the dwindling sanity of said characters. I'm re-posting this because it's actually a good story, and it's finished, and that Domino is portrayed so well within this.
> 
> Remember my warnings.
> 
> (Also there were smut parts but I kinda took them out and idk why.)

The anxiety was enough to make his squeedily-spooch convulse. His hands fumbled with the access key to the door, almost falling from his hands. He wished his brother never asked him to go this far, but his position granted him the exact access they needed. If anything it was his paranoia that was getting in the way of the plan. He was afraid of getting caught, executed and the plans they worked for years on going to waste.

 

It was far too much pressure on a little Irken.

 

The Resisty used most of their funding for this plan. It was something that needed to be done right, and without error. It was a plan only few were told about. Resources were imported from elsewhere, taken months at a time to acquire. When everything came together the plan was set to go forward. Everyone had their parts to play. They had to be played perfectly. For him, his part was of the utmost importance. With a shaky sigh he slid the key through the scanner, making access into the restricted wing.

 

Khan had worked his entire life on the massive, gradually being promoted and making lead scientist. His coding was to be a doctor, but after realization that he fainted at the sight of blood the Tallests' took pity on him and made him a scientist. He proved to be a better scientist than he was hoped to be, and through the years earned the Tallests' respect.

 

Now he had the task to use that respect and recognition to turn the tides. He was going to become a wanted man that may or may not die immediately for what he might do.

 

He managed to keep it together as he passed the higher ranked soldiers, trying to keep himself from twitching uncontrollably out of anxiety. But then he normally twitched out of anxiety. The engine room was close, and after setting the bomb he had only a small window of time to execute the second part of the plan before escaping. He glanced at the bag in his hand, holding it tight.

 

 _'You're the only one who can do this Khan.'_ He could remember his brother's words. _'It will be perfect, and you will be completely fine. We have people on the inside that will help you.'_

 

_'But if there's others who are in on this why am I the one doing the dangerous part?'_

 

 _'You are the only one that is short enough to pull it off.'_ He was then handed the bag, and when he looked inside Khan finally realized.

 

The engine room was empty, thankfully for Khan. He glanced around before entering, walking quietly between the humming engines and kneeling down. He began to strip himself of his clothing, taking the replacement clothes from the bag and staring at them. Standard issue Invader uniform. He unfolded the clothes and put them on. At the bottom to the bag were a pair of contacts. He took his goggles off, putting them away into his PAK and standing up, slipping the contacts on. With a glance at the glass pane of the power supply his reflection showed him the face of the legendary fallen Irken. Invader Zim, the Irken who single-handedly helped the Resisty in many ways without knowing it.

 

After the Resisty had captured the Tallests' last communication with Zim, they decided that he would do one more thing for them. Zim would get his revenge, without being there to accomplish it.

 

* * *

 

 

It all started with a virus; a virus that had affected Irken PAKs by poisoning the internal brain, causing the host body to become rabid, destroying themselves and others around them. This virus was set loose by an Irken, a spy from the Resisty that had infected a section of the Massive. He was one of few Irken that were already protected with the anti-virus. It only took one infection, and time was quick for two months later, half of the entire Empire was dead. Along with the list of casualties was Tallest Purple himself, who had mysteriously disappeared. He was rumored however to have died among his people, being shot by Tallest Red in defense.

 

What was known as ‘The Great Infection’ marked a turning point for the Empire. Everything changed, and mortalities were realized. The mission for control had warped into a mission for re-population, and those who had been slaves to the Empire were being taken in for breeding experiments, as the Tallest was now intent on creating an Irken that didn’t require the use of a PAK. The search for the perfect Irken had started, and with that came along the ruthless bloodlust for the persons who had unleashed the virus. It wasn’t long until the creators of the virus were captured and revealed as two Irken that had went against the Empire and its ways. They were put to death in the most brutal way possible; antennae being ripped from their heads before they were placed in a vat of acid, left to become writhing masses of blood and carnage that was later flushed away without a care.

 

One Irken remained, however; the one who had set the virus loose. He had vanished without a trace, and Red wasn’t going to back down from finding him. The plans, however, were set, and the Massive began to move once again, but not for planetary conquest. They were moving for re-population, moving for revenge. The Resisty, a group that once thought harmless, was now the most sought after organization by Irken kind. Those who would stand against the Empire were now free for mutilation and torture, which those loyal to the Empire took to heart. Irken who were seen as traitors to the Empire were immediately put to death or were taken to be tortured with no hope of escape.

 

When footage from the security cameras surfaced, there was a single Irken who stood out among others. A specific Irken running from the blast site. Red could taste the bile rising from his throat, glaring at the screen with such loathing and rage before shattering it with his own claws.

 

He whipped around, enraged, glaring at the few soldiers he had left. "I want you to capture Zim and bring him back to me alive. I'll be the one to kill him with my own hands."


	2. Desperation

**Four Months earlier…**

 

Desperation can make a person do surprising things.

 

After five years of failed and flawed plans Zim had finally realized his mistake. He was so caught up in trying to destroy the humans, when his plan should have been the opposite. They might be smelly and stupid, and pretty damned ugly, but there was something humans had that the Irkens didn't. They had qualities about them that would make them the best kind of experiment! The plan itself was perfect; research the humans on earth and choose the finest subject to send to his leaders. They would be so overjoyed with such a fine specimen that he would be treated with the respect he had been vying for all of his life. Afterward, a party would be held in his honor, with frozen yoghurt and piñatas filled with candy, followed by the ceremonial conquering of the human race.

 

All he needed was the right human. He had to choose carefully. The human had to be in perfect health, and sturdy. There wasn't any room for error in this plan. The wrong human could mean another pummeling with saturated meat sticks, as that was the punishment for a crap-ass job.

 

So Zim holed himself in his own underground laboratory for years, ignoring the happenings of the outside world and a concerned boy with a big head. He couldn't let anything disrupt him while he scanned the planet, going over every human body they had. Of course he found exceptional candidates in these factions of the human military called 'armee' and 'mareens', but Zim wanted more. His tastes were outstandingly picky, and he trudged onward.

 

The following winter was when he finally discovered something interesting. A human with genetics that were so far out of the realm of 'normal' that it was almost an alien itself. In fact, he idly wondered if that he had uncovered another alien. An alien on his turf, trying to take his Earth. If there was anything that would distract him from his plan, this was it. His eyes narrowed at his findings and he narrowed the location of the being down, tapping the screen at where the alien was spotted and left the lab in a hurry.

 

* * *

 

 

It was cold. Colder than the last winter. Gloved hands touched the frozen chain-link fence that surrounded the abandoned building that had been condemned long ago. With a grunt she climbed over it, jumping down from the top of the fence and landing on one knee. The building was aged, showing signs of the explosion that happened once upon a time. It was still standing, however, and had been for eleven years.

 

Eleven years...to this day.

 

Her footsteps were masked by the snowfall as she walked closer to the building, a green eye scanning the damage that had been left. They had planned to demolish the building, pave it down and get rid of it, but after a few years the people grew lazy, finding better spots for future works and deciding to forget the building.

 

There were no windows, each one having exploded with the fire, and those left over being broken by a passerby with a rock. Inside the building looked timeless. Anything that wasn't demolished by the explosion was untouched, as if time had stopped. The only thing changing was dust and mold. Papers strewn under the dusty floor, papers that were supposed to be filed out that day. Broken pictures of employees of the month and torn posters, so faded that it was hard to read them anymore. Everything that used to be was no more. Bodies that had perished were marked by old bloodstains on the floor, the walls, sometimes on desks.

 

She closed her only working eye, hugging herself tight when she felt a cold breeze pass through. She could almost feel them. She knew they were still here, the spirits of those who had been caught among the disaster. She could feel the despair, the denial. They re-lived their last days over and over, crying out and screaming when they were met with death.

 

A sound made her gasp, her eye opening again and she fell to her knees. “I'm so sorry...” She whispered, touching a broken picture frame that depicted an unknown family. “I'm sorry...”

 

After a moment of eerie silence the woman got back up, continuing to move through the memories, each room she passed through providing an image, and she couldn't help but go through it, standing at a doorway before continuing down the path she knew she was taking. Each step however became harder, as the room she was going to was the beginning of it all. The beginning of the end. She could hear her brother's voice echoing, telling her to turn back and leave. Her brother was the only one of the two who never wanted to see this place ever again. She couldn't do that... she couldn't let it go.

 

_You can't avoid the past no matter how much you tried. If you tried to avoid it then it comes back to haunt you._

 

Though no matter what, the past haunted them no matter what they did. The knowledge was still there. The fear was still there. The consequence for their freedom was still inside these walls, pleading out for someone to save them. She couldn't ignore the fact that lives were lost. She could never ignore the lives she had ended.

 

But then, that's what made her a defective in His eyes; feeling remorse for people who didn't matter. She was supposed to kill without thought, without hesitation or care. She was made for it, trained for it. What he forgot however, was that she was human. Humans have emotions, feelings, regrets, memories, tears. Humans cannot be heartless weapons made for destruction.

 

She couldn't remember when she was able to sleep without interruption. The dreams she would have would be constant reminders of the hell she lived in, the torture she went through as well as put others though. She couldn't hold anything steady anymore. Her brother, on the other hand, had no remorse or regret in anything; or at least never showed it. He was a stone, a complete mystery in every way. He never showed any emotion, or once showed any weakness. Perhaps it was because his training was different. He found no need to linger on any weak thought of any kind. Doing so would keep them from their goal. Because of that, she wasn't allowed to stop fighting. No, she wouldn't kill anymore... but if she stopped fighting then they would lose the freedom they tried so hard to obtain.

 

The footsteps came to a halt, and she stood in front of the door that she would never open. Of all the rooms she could venture though this one was the only door that she would never step though. The door opened to where everything went asunder. Shakily, a hand moved up to touch the cold metal, lying flat against it as she did her forehead. She stayed there in a still silence, feeling the chill of the metal warming from her touch.

 

Eventually she moved away from the door, sighing as she turned to leave the way she came. She pulled her scarf tighter around her neck when a blast of wind hit, wincing and placing her hand over the patch that covered her right eye. She assumed it was just another snow storm coming in, and she hid herself in a corner of a room, pulling her coat closer to herself as she waited for the wind to die out. It didn't look like it was, however, and she grunted in annoyance.

 

Before she could move, the foundation began to shake. She steeled herself instinctively, feeling the shaking becoming stronger and stronger. Above her, the remaining ruins of the building began to crack from the movement, forcing her to jump out of a window before it gave and collapsed over her. She quickly got up, looking around in the snow-coated wind for the source of the shaking. A cry escaped her mouth then, and she dived across the grounds as an explosion hit. An ear-piercing laugh followed, something that sounded eerie and grating, causing her to become alert. Why would someone attack her here? How did they know?

 

She could hear something and darted off before the spot she was in exploded from a missile. The woman clenched her teeth as she ran towards the fence, jumping onto it and hurriedly climbing it before another missile was shot towards her. She jumped off right when the missile landed next to the fence, sending her flying at her car and crashing through the back windshield. With a groan she struggled to reach below the back seat, pulling out a katana. Before she could kick her way out the passenger window a blast sent the car flying into the air and come crashing down with a metallic shatter, landing upside down and looking demolished.

 

It was silent for a while, Zim watching from his ship to see if the human was still alive. The vehicle was smoking, looking ready to explode. His antennae twitched slightly and he leaned forward in anticipation.

 

The backdoor budged, moving with strong shoves from the other side. Finally the door went flying off its hinges, a bloody hand reaching out followed by a bloodied arm riddled with broken glass. The woman pulled herself out, glaring at the snow before her and ignoring the open wound at the corner of her forehead. She took a moment to breathe before struggling to her feet, breathing heavily and gripping the sword in her hand steely. Her head turned slowly to look for the one who fired the missiles.

 

A wide grin spread across Zim's face, watching as the human came out of the broken vehicle still alive and looking for him. His test was proving to be quite an effective one. Normal humans wouldn't be moving after so much destruction. Normal humans wouldn't be running at breakneck speed—wait. Oh shit.

 

Zim cried out, diving away and extending his metal appendages to help him run from the screaming woman. He escaped into the building, heading down the broken staircase into what looked like a large laboratory area. Good, room to battle.

 

She followed after him, not caring what he was or why he was attacking. All she knew was that he was trying to kill her, and she needed to disable him. She chased him down the steps, flipping herself over a boulder in the way and hitting the floor in a roll. Zim was already on the other end of the wrecked and ruined room, hissing at her and poised in a battle-ready stance.

 

They broke out charging for each-other at the same instant. Steel on steel clashed, both sides aiming not to kill, but to disarm and damage. Steel soon ripped into flesh, shedding blood of different colors but never stopping either one from attacking. It was a bloody tango with a battle for lead. The dance seemed endless on both ends, but only on one side the alien was analyzing the other's moves, fighting only to test her. It had been done before, with the results ending with decapitated limbs and blood-soaked corpses. The others never lasted this long before, and some practically gave up in pure terror. The human before him was already exceeding his expectations, rising above his last failed experiments.

 

The time to act had arrived, though it seemed like both of them had the same idea, colliding together in an attempt to overpower the other, the woman coming out on top in the end and stabbing the sword though the Irken's shoulder. The alien before her screamed out, his appendages retracting as she knelt over him, breathing heavily and ignoring the painful gash across her chest.

 

“Kill me.” He hissed at her, narrowing his eyes. “You've won, now do it.”

 

She only stared down at him, registering that in fact the creature could speak English. She couldn't do what he asked, though, instead pressing her hand over his throat. “Tell me why you attacked me...” She spoke out in a tired rasping voice, the visible gash soaking her clothes. “TELL ME!” She screamed out, pressing down on his throat slightly, threatening to strangle him.

 

“KILL ME!” He snarled out, ignoring the other's words. The human above him looked ready to end him. She went for the sword and pulled it out of the body, green blood dripping from the blade afterward. She positioned it at his gut, glaring down at him. In her head she was going through everything that happened, how she was attacked without warning, what she was doing earlier. Her hands began to shake, causing the sword to tremble above the smaller creature.

 

“DO IT NOW.”

 

The words broke through, her eyes widening as she remembered Him. His voice was screaming at her. He was screaming at her to kill him. Kill them. Kill all of them. Blood, so much blood... she screamed then, raising the sword and shutting her eye before running it through herself.

 

Red eyes widened at the sight, watching the blood splatter over him as the woman slipped off of him and onto the floor. She wasn't dead, no. He was able to see the rise and fall of her chest. The weapon was slid through her abdomen. Immediately he got to his feet, ignoring his own wound to gather up the human woman and drag her back to the ship.


	3. Horrible Dib Person

He was frustrated. So frustrated that he had left damage wherever he went. It wasn't on purpose, it just always happened when his thoughts and patience were in disarray. It had been days since she had left and she had promised to return the following night. He never wanted her to go in the first place, as the location of her trip was an extremely volatile area to go to. She refused to listen however, insisting that she had to pay respects to the dead. He hated that about her the most, the fact she felt bad for those who were caught in the destruction. It was their own fault, working for Him. They were just as guilty as He was.

 

When he attempted to track her whereabouts he was met with nothing. The chip that he implanted into her had been disconnected somehow, and it drove him into an even deeper state of frustration. He felt like screaming, like slamming his fist into the wall. He wanted to destroy everything. In fact, he was doing half of it, screaming as loud as possible and landing his fist into the wall, debris around his semi-wrecked and ruined laboratory shakily rising up into the air and sending itself into different directions, the atmosphere pulsating around him.

 

“A-Avery?”

 

Everything stopped, dropping wherever it landed as the voice broke through his thoughts. He whipped around to see a man at the door to his lab. He was exposed. Caught. The man in front of him staring at him with his own wide eyes, amber eyes that stared at the man before him with fright, shock, awe, and other nameless emotions.

 

“Membrane, how did you find my lab?” Avery asked the man calmly, staring at the strange spike that was always present, a resemblance of his own father's spike, but unlike his father, Dib had more hair.

 

Dib couldn't really answer that, no. He couldn't really do anything right at that moment, not after seeing such a thing. He knew that there was something strange about this man but he didn't realize it was something like this! Ever since they met, it was a feeling that bugged him in the back of his neck.

 

The two wouldn't have ever crossed paths if it wasn't for Professor Membrane himself. Dib had been working as his apprentice, something akin to a college internship. It wasn't like he had a choice on the matter. Avery was pursued by his father, upon discovering the young prodigy at a conference he had attended. It had taken him months to convince Avery to work for him. He and Dib were practically the same age, and he was amazed by Avery's own intelligence.

 

However, the past few days had worried the young apprentice. Avery had stopped coming to work, putting an important project on hold. He wasn't that easy to find. The thing about the young scientist was that he had himself carefully guarded. It was something that made Dib curious, as he hadn't known anyone with such privacy. Not since…

 

“I...I got myself locked in the closet and--” The explanation itself was embarrassing, but it was mostly Avery's fault. The sudden surge of gravity caused Dib to fall into the closet upon checking for any hidden doorways, and upon finding a panel it was discovered to be more than a closet.

 

Avery felt his eye muscle twitch, and he turned away, grasping his hair with his hands and groaning. With all he did to secure his and his sister's privacy and safety, it took a curiously stupid adolescent to get through his defenses and ruin everything.

 

Dib immediately sensed what Avery was worried about, dropping the case he was holding and holding his hands up in defense. “I-I won't tell anybody about this!” Once-upon-a-time, he would have. Oh it was a delicious opportunity but with his age came a bit of wisdom. He remembered how he tried to expose Zim for what he was, only to have it explode in his face on several occasions. No, he wasn't stupid anymore. He finally knew what to keep to himself.

 

After so long, he missed it. He missed the secrets.

 

Avery didn't look at him, moving forward to a counter and wordlessly searching for something. Dib had followed him, “I'm serious, okay? Whatever you are, alien or not I won't say anything.”

 

“Alien.” Avery snorted. That sounded so much nicer than the truth. An alien with telekinetic abilities. “You're nowhere near right...” He said quietly, finding what he wanted. It looked like a gun with a needle on the end. Dib couldn't see what he was doing, and once he saw the weapon he felt the air leave him.

 

“I-I-I said--!”

 

“Shut up.” Avery grabbed his arm and pulled him closer, pressing the gun into the other's shoulder and pulling the trigger. The shot was instant and quite painful, making Dib wince. It ended as quickly as it began and Avery let go of him, placing the gun back on the counter. “Just in case, I've implanted a tracking device inside of you.”

 

Dib winced again when he felt the tender spot where Avery had injected him, sighing. “Yanno, someone isn't paranoid unless there's something to keep secret.” He couldn't help but pry. He already seen something he wasn't supposed to, why not learn why?

 

Avery ignored the comment, instead taking the man by his arm again and leading him towards the elevator he came out of. “You're acting as Membrane while he's in Switzerland, yes? Write down my absence as a vacation. I have something to do.”

 

Dib stumbled after him, managing to pick up his case as they passed the doorway. “Hold on! I want to know what's going on!”

 

Avery almost threw him in the elevator and hit the button before Dib could get out. “I don't have time for you.”

 

The door was closing fast, and Dib couldn't just let it go. He jammed the case in between the doors and grimaced when they practically dented the whole thing, yet it stopped the elevator. “Wait! Avery I'm being serious!”

 

“Don't be so familiar with me! Call me Lycroft!” Avery finally barked out, glaring at him. “Quit fucking calling me Avery! I'm not your fucking friend or anything, why do you insist on being so casual?” He moved to press his hand against the button, trying his hardest to stop Dib from getting out but the man was stubborn, and eventually Dib got himself out, determination giving him the needed strength. 

 

“I'm not leaving.” Dib shouted, slapping Avery's hand away before he tried to push him again.

 

Avery was getting pissed off. For a moment the laboratory shook slightly before he stopped it, turning away from the source of his anger and searching his pockets for what he needed. Ah. He pulled out a cigarette pack and withdrew a stick, lighting it up and taking a calming drag. It was a disgusting habit, but it soothed the pain in his head.

 

Avery took a moment and sighed, finally feeling somewhere around the vicinity of relaxed and turned back to Dib, who just distracted himself by staring at all of the technology that was residing in the laboratory. “Did you make all of this yourself?” The kid asked.

 

“No. Surprisingly enough, one day I was visited by a sparkling fairy and she led me down a tunnel into this wonderful cavern of mystery and intrigue!” He was making such an awestruck face, his hands waving at everything around him. Dib caught the sarcasm and rolled his eyes. “Idiot, of course it's all mine.” Avery smacked him behind the head as he passed, heading towards the large computer screen in the center of the laboratory. “I don't have time to indulge you about my projects, my sibling is missing and I cannot find her.”

 

Dib winced and rubbed the back of his head, wincing. He followed the scientist to the computer and stared at how large the screen was. “You have a sister?” 

 

Avery grumbled, ignoring the question and trying another combination of codes, bringing up the recorded history of the tracking device from a satellite. “This doesn't make any sense whatsoever.” He looked up at the satellite feedback, narrowing his eyes. “How can the tracker be cut off in space? There is no way this is correct.”

 

Dib quirked his head, watching the pattern. Space... it reminded him of Zim, the alien that had disappeared from his life almost a decade ago.

 

Avery slammed his fists on the console. “This information isn't correct. It says the last signal was approximately five hundred miles above us. That's impossible unless she's in a space station!” That thought was pretty much laughable.

 

Dib wasn't laughing, remembering....

 

Zim had a space station.

 

He sighed, of all the times to be nostalgic he had to pick now? It's not like he couldn't help it though, Dib still wasn't used to the fact that the alien he spent half his life chasing was suddenly gone. No sign, no word, not even a hint to where he had disappeared to. His house was empty, everything was gone. Not even that robot dog was still around. He hated remembering that day. It was the worst day he ever had. After that he spent years searching for him. Searching for signs, anything abnormal. He was met with roadblocks and dead ends, as if Zim had disappeared off the face of the earth—literally.

 

He never gave up hope, though. Dib knew that if he let Zim disappear completely then his life would never be nearly as perfect as it used to be. He had time to get used to the fact that he was attracted to an alien. Normal people could never compare to the mysticism and mystery that Zim had. If he let Zim go, actually admit he wasn't coming back, then that would send him into a state of mind that he never wanted to set foot inside.

 

It was the prime reason he decided to become a part of his father's legacy. While Membrane took the decision as the man's realization that real science was in his blood, Dib was actually thinking that having access to the best technology would assist him in his search.

 

Then he met Avery Lycroft.

 

A man with a personality to rival his sister's, an anger problem to rival Zim's, and a clouded background that gave him no answers no matter how hard he looked for them. Avery was an enigma; a man with no past, no history, no birth records. He was a mystery to Dib, and that alone made him so curious about the other. He felt like a child again, facing that questionable danger of the unknown. He wanted to know more about Avery. He wanted to know what he was hiding. More importantly, he wanted to know why. The scientist turned into Dib's new project, his new obsession.

 

It was a perfect distraction between searching for his first obsession, because if he wasn't thinking about his obsessions then his mind wandered. When his mind wandered it usually went into a realm that was filled with depression, doubts and the worry that Zim would never come back.

 

He never wanted to consider that.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Zim was overjoyed, putting the final touches on the device he was holding. If this wouldn't impress the Tallests, then he didn't know what would. With a pleased sigh he set the finished device down and made his way to the screen, which still was showing static from his last communication. He took a breath before cutting the connection and re-establishing it once again, as if hitting re-dial. The signal timed out thirty times before the connection finally established. He looked up at it, grinning wide. He knew they didn't forget him, their most loyal invader.

 

The screen went on, showing his leaders. One was adjusting the screen while the other preened himself, almost as if they were prepared for this.

 

"My Tallests--"

 

"Zim, before you open your stupid mouth shut up!" Purple shouted. “This is a pre-recorded message. If you’re getting this then it means we’re finally sick of you!”

 

Zim clearly didn't know what they meant, frowning, “Sick of me? But my Tallests, I--”

 

Red cut him off this time, "We knew how stupid you are but this is just tiring now. We are sick and tired of you, Zim. We never liked you. Since you were activated you were an annoyance and recently you’ve become just plain pathetic."

 

Zim frowned, tilting his head in confusion. "Eh?" No this wasn’t right… 

 

"Yeah!" Purple grinned. "You were fun to play with but now it's got boring. You're boring Zim, and stupid. And annoying, and pitiful, and short, and why won't you die already?”

 

Zim couldn't believe what he was hearing. His antennae fell limp. "But my Tallests, the mission--" He said to himself.

 

"There IS no mission, you moron!" Red shouted, as if he knew what Zim was going to say. "We just wanted to get you out of our lives. But no, you keep calling and calling and calling. We're sick of you, Zim. You're not even an invader. You're nothing! You are a waste of space that we should have executed long ago."

 

"This is gonna be our last talk Zim. If you are listening to this then your connection has been blocked for good. Have fun and I hope you die quickly. Cut the recording!"

 

The screen went black then, followed by the static.

 

Zim couldn't move. He couldn't think. There was one point in which he he almost couldn't breathe. His PAK took over then, sensing the breakdown. Zim fell to his knees, still staring at the screen with a blank stare, his eyes losing all light.

 

It was as if he had stopped altogether, the only sound to be heard was the silent whirring of his PAK.

 

“No…” He whispered to himself after an hour of inactivity. “No, this can’t be true.” He laughed hesitantly at first, but it soon became hysterical. “No, this has to be a joke! It has to!”

 

He knew the truth though.

 

It was then when something inside of him snapped. Immediately he rose to his feet, crimson eyes coming back to life. He moved over to the screen and grabbed it, screaming with rage as he tore it from the wall. He continued to rip apart and ravage the room. By the time he made it to the device he was working on he stopped, suddenly remembering the human he had. She was supposed to be a gift to the Tallests. His whole plan was...

 

He gripped the device, staring at it intently. The gears were turning and after a while he began to grin. It was a dark, twisted grin. With the destruction forgotten he made his way to the room he had transported her to.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The smell of cigarettes were dominating the laboratory, and from what looked of it there were about ten ripped open packs and a pile of dead butts strewn about the floor. Dib was disgusted, taking the broom and the dustpan to start on sweeping up the mess.

 

He continued to visit the Lycroft residence ever since the first day. Avery had kept himself locked up in the house ever since his sister went missing. It had been four weeks now, and no matter what he said Avery had refused to call the police, and even threatened Dib if he were to try. He took a leave from work, eventually deciding on taking care of the stressed out man as it was obvious Avery couldn't take care of himself. Over the weeks he had learned that Avery wouldn't eat unless food was presented in front of him, wouldn't bathe unless forced to, and his cigarette habit was more than just a habit. Day by day it had grew until the man was chain smoking just to get past the day. He had never left the laboratory, and Dib wasn't allowed inside unless it was to keep Avery alive and clean.

 

Avery Lycroft was the most secretive man he'd ever met, more secretive than Zim was...

 

He wanted to know what those secrets were.

 

“When you're done clean the kitchen.” Avery's voice broke through Dib's thoughts, making him glare at Avery for the demand.

 

“Hey I'm not here as your maid!” He yelled while wearing an apron, “I'm here for support and it seems like if I wasn't here you'd be dead in your own filth.”

 

Avery turned away from the computer for the first time in four hours, staring at him with a hard glare, “I never asked you to stay here, Membrane. I don't need help.” He looked haggard, working on only two hours sleep - which came at least in fifty not-so-timed naps.

 

Dib didn't like that look, or how gaunt his skin seemed. He forgot about the argument and made his way over to him, grabbing the scientist by the collar and trying to drag him. “Come on, you need some food and sleep.”

 

Avery hissed, slapping his hand away. “Don't tell me what to do! I'm almost done with my work.”

 

“You said that two days ago!” Dib shouted at him, grabbing for his arm. “Stop fucking working for a second and maybe you'll live to see tomorrow!” He yanked on the arm as hard as he could, practically dragging Avery out of his chair.

 

He fought Dib, as stubborn as he was, going so far as to shrug himself out of his lab coat. The sharp movements themselves caused him to grasp his head, hissing a little and going for a cigarette. Dib caught the motion and grabbed the pack from the console, tossing them away. “You've had about enough!” He grumbled.

 

Avery was getting angry, moving to push past Dib to go for the box, but the younger man got in front of him and stomped on the box. He froze then, his eyes wide before narrowing at the other, reaching for Dib's hair scythe and grabbing it, yanking him close. “Stop interfering in my life.”

 

Dib shut his eyes, expecting to be punched or thrown or whatever Avery did when he was angry, but nothing came. Instead the grip on the scythe went limp and he suddenly stumbled back, feeling a weight fall against him. His eyes opened to see Avery had passed out. He quickly wrapped his arms around the other's chest and dragged him to the elevator, grunting when he finally re-positioned the dead weight to carry him by the shoulder.

 

The man's bedroom was easy to find, after having spent an entire day cleaning up (and snooping) around the house. He kicked the door open and weaved himself though the strange display of bookshelves. The center of the room was where the maze ended, presenting Dib with a bed and two nightstands, a pretty simple setup in the middle of a complicated design.

 

“You're a weird one.” Dib mused, dropping Avery on the bed. “So many books, did you honestly read them all?” The collection was a vast one, all of them classics. He saw the sister's room, and it amused him on how different they were. While his room was mostly books, hers were full of weapons and zombie movies. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle, wondering if Gaz would like her.

 

Dib undid the man's shoes and tossed them aside, settling the other down in the bed right before getting up. He looked around the room, finding a second opening into the maze and frowning. He had snooped in this room before, but it wasn't for long. It was obvious that the room was bigger than Avery's bookshelf maze made it to be.

 

It took him some tries, double-checking turns and taking mental notes of what books were where. He realized that Avery was more meticulous in his design, placing specific books in places where they would suggest to the next turn.

 

By the time he was out of the maze he was faced with a small crevice, a closet door meeting him at the exit. All this for clothing? He shook his head and opened the door, stepping inside a dark room. He fumbled for a light, but not finding a switch at all. Grudgingly he took out his cellphone and turned the light on, using it for a flashlight. The small room was full of papers and photos, old boxes and things that were dusty and haven't been touched for ages. Looking up he found a chain, pulling on it and wincing as a bright light flooded the darkness. He put his phone away and looked at everything differently. He looked over the photos, presenting two people that looked just like Avery and his sister, yet older. The couple looked happy, especially the one who looked like Avery. It was... astounding, to say the least. A man that looked so happy holding the face of his colleague, who was anything but. The woman... that must have been what his sister looked like. He hadn't seen her himself.

 

The photos were stuck to the wall in a pattern, showing one or the other or both. The last one was taped backwards, and he reached over and took it off the wall, turning it around. It was the older couple again, but this time they had two babies, almost identical... 

 

He frowned, looking away from the photo and finding an album. It contained newspaper articles. 

 

FAMOUS SCIENTIST WILLIAM LYCROFT...

 

GENESIS AND LYCROFT COLLABORATE IN SUCCESSFUL GENETIC TECHNOLOGY

 

REVOLUTIONARY NEW GENICROFT LABORATORIES TO BE ERECT OUTSIDE OF TOWN

 

YOUNG PROTEGE DIANA EVANS TO BE WED TO SCIENCE MOGUL

 

“Lycroft...” Dib thought to himself, glancing at the faded picture in the paper and looking at the one in his hand. It had to be their father! Then it meant the woman... Diana Evans-Lycroft...

 

He flipped through the papers, all headlines on the laboratory and the couple, and a man named Genesis that had its first name scraped out of every paper. Near the end everything looked darker.

 

SCIENCE GENIUS AND WIFE MISSING

 

WILLIAM AND DIANA LYCROFT FOUND DEAD

 

**** GENESIS SUCCEED AS PRESIDENT OF GENICROFT LABORATORY

 

The last page had fallen out of the album, it looked crumpled and beaten. The photo was scribbled over by a pen and the paper was stained with tears and blood. He picked it up, trying out make out the headline.

 

G*N**IS FOUND DEAD IN LABORATORY EXPLOSION, POLICE CLAIM NATURAL CAUSES

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

Dib yelped, dropping the paper and tossing everything onto a dusty box, which blasted dust at him before he could talk.

 

Avery was leaning against the doorway, his eyes unreadable while he watched Dib choke on the dust. “I asked you a question, Membrane.” He frowned. “This door is hidden for a reason.”

 

When Dib was finally able to breathe he got up. “I—I just—“

 

“You were going through my things, as you were for the past few weeks.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Don't pretend I don't know, I have cameras installed in every room.” He stepped forward, grabbing Dib by the arm and yanking him close. The look in his eyes were murderous. “Why do you want to know about me so much? Are you that stupid?”

 

Dib clenched his teeth and pulled away, stumbling back and falling on one of the boxes. “Damnit Avery haven't you seen anyone who is concerned? You passed out and I took you here, it's not like I drugged you! What do you think I have been doing here all this time?”

 

“Being a complete nuisance.” Avery glared at him, moving forward to grab him, throwing him out of the closet. “If you haven't found out about now, I don't want you around.”

 

Dib glared back at him, rubbing his arm after landing against a bookshelf. “What are you hiding Avery? There's no goddamn reason for you to be so secretive, unless you're a vampire or some kind of monster.”

 

Avery couldn't help but burst out laughing then, making Dib confused. “A monster, you say? I guess you're right.” Avery held his head, glancing at him. “If you really are looking for a monster I think I can show you one.”

 

Before Dib could open his mouth he felt himself being launched into the air, and he screamed when he was hurled all the way across the room above the bookcases, slamming against the far end of the room and collapsing onto the floor. He groaned, the pain erupting through his body from the impact. He raised his head to see the bookshelves in front of him moving by their own, Avery laying his hand on the one that moved and raising his head to look at him. “Do you know why I smoke so much?” He glowered at the other, the floor beginning to shake and causing books to fall from their shelves. “I smoke because the headaches from my abilities are unbearable. I smoke to keep calm. If I'm not calm, this happens.” He stepped closer, the fallen books rising from the floor and following Avery, snapping together and making a wall around the two of them when they were nose to nose. “So maybe yes, I have something to hide. It used to be none of your business.” He grabbed Dib's arm, taking the moment of the man's shock to pull out a syringe and stick it in his skin. “I hope you're happy to be let in the loop,” He smirked, watching as the drug took its effects on Dib. “Because this means I can take it out on you.”

 

Dib couldn't fight the sedative, seeing the painful glare on Avery's face before it all went black.

 

He didn't regret his decision.

 

 


	4. An Opportunity

Everything felt cold. Cold and wet. One eye opened to a blur. Anything she looked at was green. Pain surged through her body once she moved, gasping only to cough, feeling a tube down her esophagus. Every breath she took was unobstructed however. She moved again, her arm this time. The pain came back, causing Runa to wince. It was a needle. Needles and censors all over her body. It sent her into a panic, and she made a choking noise, pulling one arm to roughly free herself of both needles that were inside of her arm. The blood that followed tainted the lime liquid surrounding her. She did the same with the sensor wires stuck to her body, crying out around the tube when she ripped the remaining needles free.

 

She ignored the lingering pain from the damage, slamming her fist against the glass that kept her contained in the green substance. She grunted, forcing her hand and ignoring the pain. One, two, five hits, the glass began to crack. With a cry she slammed through the glass with a fist, the liquid around her immediately draining through the opening, leaving her inside a half-empty container.

 

She took the tube with her uncut hand and then began to pull it up, feeding it through her throat and choking out the green residue. When it was out she doubled over and vomited, coughing out what was left over and taking a moment to think. It was cold now, colder than when she was inside the green liquid.

 

Breaking whatever she could, the woman stumbled out of the container, almost falling onto the mess of glass she created, catching onto the nearest thing she could to keep herself up. Her legs felt weak, like they weren't used in weeks. She moved as if she was carrying two hundred pounds. She winced, forcing herself to move. Everything was unfamiliar. It reminded her of her brother's laboratory, dark and cold. Everything was mechanical, the faint sounds of hums and beeps echoing in the recycled air.

 

Moving across the vast room felt like hours, and when she finally collapsed her lungs felt strained. She couldn't take it, breathing heavily, her eye closing slightly before she opened it again. When she rose her head she went still. She was sitting in front of a window, her eye staring straight out at the galaxy, her home planet slowly rotating underneath her. Shakily she rose her bloodied hand and touched the cold glass.

 

“Beautiful isn't it?” A calm voice startled her, the same voice that she heard earlier, when she...

 

“Why am I not dead?” The woman demanded, her hand moving to touch her abdomen. It was fully healed.

 

“Hush.” Zim stepped up closer so that she could see his reflection. She now had time to study his appearance, and what she saw sent a shiver down her spine. Unnatural skin, overly large eyes that sparked with deception.

 

“This planet is so young, do you know?” He kept talking, ignoring her. “Your human lineage isn't so grand as your human texts praise it to be. They even doubt the existence of alternate life, so prideful of themselves.”

 

She flinched when she felt a rubbery touch to her shoulder, his hand settling there.

 

“They are still so self-obsessed and ignorant.” He glanced down at her, smirking slightly. “They cannot realize what is right in front of them; be it alien or a genetic abnormality like yourself.”

 

She winced at that and looked up at his reflection. He seemed lost in thought, staring at the planet as it slowly turned in place. "What do you want?" She then demanded, shoving his hand away from her.

 

Zim took no notice, instead hooking his hands behind himself. "Lots of things, really. Dominance, admiration, a better working SIR unit. But for now, all I want is you." He grinned down at her, and was met with a punch to the face.

 

It took all the strength she had at the moment, even if it still came out weaker than she had intended the point was still there. "I am not something to be used." She hissed. "If that is your intention I will spill your blood all over this place."

 

"You say that with such conviction. Have you forgotten the fact that you had a chance to kill me but instead you ran yourself through?" He had a twisted smile on his face, looking down at the scar that proved his point. "There is no escape from here. Not while I'm still alive. But then, if you kill me you will never be able to escape." His eyes were glowing with malice.

 

He was right and she hated it. There was no way in hell she would be able to navigate through this place. They were up in space as well, and unlike Avery, she could never figure out how to escape. As if he could read her thoughts, Zim began to laugh. He pulled the device up then and pressed a button. “It’s time for your lessons, my little human slave.”

 

She screamed when the floor opened up from beneath her, falling through it and leaving Zim to laugh again, his maniacal cackle reverberating through the whole ship.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Avery seemed quite pleased with himself, happily working on the console of his computer and smiling at the sound of Bach playing in the background.

 

"Avery?"

 

He hummed along to the music, enjoying the melody reverberating off the walls.

 

"Avery!"

 

His fingers swept fluidly across the keyboard at a rapid speed, eyes focused on the screen ahead of him.

 

"AVERY!"

 

"Slave boys don’t get to talk." Avery said aloud, the music volume going down once he spoke. He turned away from the computer and stood, making his way to the other end of the laboratory. A small door was open, leading into a larger section of the underground laboratory that was home to a large airship. Below the craft was Dib, coated in oil and filth. "What?" Avery frowned. "I'm busy with the diagnostics."

 

"How the hell are we going to get this out?" The entire room was too snug for the spacecraft.

 

"Work before questions, slave boy."

 

"Stop calling me that!" Dib yelled angrily, "I realize I'm in debt for accidentally exposing your secret but this is just degrading."

 

"Accidentally exposing?" Avery frowned, "Snooping around where you don't belong is a better phrase for it. It also authorizes me to call you whatever I damn well want to call you." The look Avery was giving Dib made him feel slightly guilty, but not completely. Eventually Dib had learned the truth about the brother and sister. Avery had told him everything and more, but under a giant condition that Dib would never tell. He absently rubbed his shoulder, still hurting from the tracking device that was injected into him just weeks ago. Avery was determined to keep him from exposing their secrets, and the price for such a thing was actually not that bad.

 

Working with Avery was better than working with his father. Even if the man was an irritable slave driver with a horrible temper.

 

"Get back to work Membrane, I want my ship fixed before the end of the week."

 

"That is impossible!" Dib shouted. "We need to eat and sleep, especially you!" He hated it, but the man worried him. "Are you even sure about this?"

 

Avery groaned, hating the questions, questions, questions. Dib was always full of questions and it pissed him off. "Do you ever stop talking? Honestly I have never met anyone so annoying! All you do is butt in where you don't belong and go into places you don't have any business being in, and to top it off I now have to deal with you every day and honestly I have decided long ago not to care for pets."

 

Dib was patient up until now. His eye twitched, unable to listen to any more of the man's holier-than-thou attitude. Dib got up and made his way over to Avery as the man was still talking, raising his hand and pinching Avery's nose, the action stopping the man. Avery was caught off-guard, staring at the hand holding his nose for a moment before smacking it away. "What do you think you're doing?"

 

"You needed to shut up." Dib smirked. "Letting out too much hot air might just flatten that big head of yours."

 

Avery glared at him, shaking it off and flicking Dib on the forehead. "Pot calling the kettle black."

 

"My head's not big!" Dib almost shouted, but his voice died halfway, his eyes widening when he realized that it had been quite a long time since anyone had said that to him. "Wow..." He looked at Avery for a moment, quiet, before going back to the ship and returning to his work.

 

Avery watched, confused. For a moment he kept the silence, shrugging after a while and returning to his part of the lab.

 

It was a dynamic that he hadn't experienced for such a long time, someone to argue and fight with. Avery was definitely not Zim but he had a similar ego. He was so full of himself and...

 

Incredibly interesting.

 

Avery was a special case. He was a man that was more dangerous than Avery probably even knew. After learning about his story he made searches about it, gathering news articles and theories and anything else about the incident. He found so much, and it only drove Dib closer to him. Carrying such a heavy secret was a big deal. Especially when Dib knew something that Avery would never know. The two had something in common, more than Avery would admit.

 

* * *

 

 

The woman cried out in pain, clutching the collar that was clasped around her neck. The electric volts that went through her were enough to kill a normal person, but it was necessary for what Zim had planned. The procedure would take days, but when it was over her whole being would bend to his will. All it would take is time and patience, which he now had a vast abundance of. His plans had changed, and if he wasn't going to give the human to them, he was going to keep her to himself. She was too valuable to throw back into that world. Such strength and agility was too perfect to be wasted.

 

The device he had created was designed to alter one's morals and psyche. It was perfectly simple, mixing chemical injections from small needles inside the collar and electrical jolts from the collar itself. The room she was placed in was sound-proof, the focus of the room being an audio feed of Zim's own voice, feeding messages in between the process. The process was rudimentary in itself, but it had a pleasing effect. He wanted to take his anger out on someone, and seeing the human's slow descent into madness was more gratifying than anything.

 

When it was all over Zim decided to check on his experiment. He unlocked the door, stepping inside the room and shutting the voice feed off. She was restrained in the center of the room, a metal ring clasped around her waist and being held in place by tension wires that were fed into the walls. She was slumped over, one hand weakly holding onto the collar as her body continued to twitch from the last shock. Her eye was focused on the floor, glancing up at him once Zim's boot entered her view.

 

He wordlessly unlocked the collar, removing it from the human's neck and grabbing her by the hair, pulling her head back to look at him. "Time to wake up, my little human. Zim has come to retrieve you."

 

When the restraints were undone, she let out an enraged scream and lunged at him, holding his arms down and pinning him under her.

 

Zim looked up at her, a twisted grin forming on his face. She was on the same plane as he was now. He had a companion in his newly found insanity. "You wish to hurt Zim, do you? To kill me as you should have done the first time. It is in you now, isn't it? The drive, the temptation. You have become my perfect human soldier. Zim will need you. You belong to me now."

 

She wanted to gut him, she wanted to tear him into two and pull his innards out slowly. She wanted to watch him scream while she murdered him. She wanted to do so much, but she couldn't bring herself to do any of it. She could kill him so easily now, but--

 

She couldn't.

 

The woman screamed again and got off of him, slamming her fist against the floor, leaving a noticeable dent. Zim grinned at that and got up, moving closer to her. "Give in human. Just submit and you will see that Zim is a merciful master. Fighting it will only give you pain."

 

She was fighting, hearing the alien's voice whisper in her ear and echo in her mind. They all told her to submit, while another voice, a different voice told her to fight. Fight him, obey him. Each time she fought her body went aflame with that burning sensation, as if she was still being electrocuted. She screamed again, sending another dent into the floor before her body collapsed. Zim watched with amused glee, taking interest at the war he had implanted into her psyche.

 

"No no no no no no NO NO GET OUT OF ME!" She curled up in pain, her nails scraping down her arms, leaving bloodied scratches. Zim took out a syringe and jammed it into her then, frowning at the damage she had done.

 

"Tsk tsk, you're always hurting yourself are you? If my plan is going to work then we're going to have to stop that habit." He ordered the computer to transport her back to the medical ward. The fact that his new human was fighting him would mean he needed more time before they could initiate the next step.

 

His plan rested on the loyalty of this human. Now that he was without an Empire he had to create his own. The Tallests would know the pain and anguish he had felt. They will realize how dangerous Zim can be. Most importantly they will be witness to a new Tallest and a new empire. An Empire that he will create.

 

Everything will become perfect then.


	5. Defective

After hours of working on the ship, Dib had surfaced from the laboratory into the house. Avery wasn't at his usual spot at the computer, and somehow that was a bit troubling. He searched the rooms, eventually finding Avery inside his sister's room, sitting on her bed with one of her DVD cases in his hands.

 

"Avery?"

 

"She loves these stupid movies. The theory itself is illogical but it didn't stop her from loving it. She would train for it sometimes, saying that if the zombies rose she would be ready. Because we were made to handle it all..." He looked especially somber. Dib frowned and sat next to him. It was clear that Avery was actually starting to miss her.

 

"Have you even watched them?" He smiled reassuringly, "I like them myself, and the movies are not that bad. Though you have to admit that some plots could really happen if someone was insane enough to do it." He took the DVD from Avery's hands, standing up. "Come on, get the other movies. Let's watch them."

 

Avery glared tiredly at him, "What?"

 

"Instead of sitting here being depressed, how about you enjoy a movie or two? It wouldn't kill you." Dib grinned halfheartedly. "Wouldn't she be happy to know you watched one while she was away?"

 

Trying to be reassuring while one was worried that their sibling might be dead or worse was a hard thing to do, but Dib felt like he had to try with Avery. He'd want the same if Gaz went missing. The two might not look close to outsiders but Gaz would do anything for him, even if he would owe her afterwards. He watched the man mull the suggestion over until picking out a few movies that looked more serious than the rest, silently getting up and leaving the room.

 

"Great! I’ll make the popcorn." Dib followed after him, pretending not to notice Avery staring at the movies with a hint of longing.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The human ended up fighting longer than Zim had thought, every night after working on his plan he would enter her cell and find the woman screaming on the floor, the walls ripped apart by her sheer strength, while she lay on the floor bloody and breathing raggedly.

 

The last night, she had stabbed herself in the chest.

 

It was agitating, having picked up a human that was so broken. At every chance he had she became suicidal. The chemical injections were supposed to change her loyalties, to turn her to him. With the electrocutions that took effect with every resistance it was supposed to be a full proof plan. The human proved to be more resilient than he thought.

 

He paced the room, watching the human from behind a glass panel. She was back in the healing tank, an IV hooked up into her arm. The collar had been discarded along with the control device, destroyed in a fit of rage.

 

It unnerved him, the fact that the human resorted to such lengths to defy orders. Especially the first time, where she had the best opportunity to kill him. Instead of taking such a great chance she instead tried to kill herself. It was curious. She would hurt herself to the point of attempting suicide. The act itself was taboo in his culture, only meant for those who were at the end of their life span.

 

There was only one word for it; Defect.

 

She was a defect.

 

Zim glared at the woman in the tube. He hated her.

 

He hated that instead of bowing down and admit defeat, she would rather end herself.

 

How is it that she could fight while he was bowing down constantly? Again and again she tried to fight while again and again he took everything that was thrown at him with a Thank You. In a way that human was stronger than he was.

 

Zim slammed a fist against the glass window, cracking it. He was going to make that human bow to him, he was going to win this fight.

 

* * *

 

 

The days were getting longer, and after a while Dib had to ask (beg) Gaz to help him deal with Avery. She accepted only on the condition that he should shut up and only speak when spoken to. Once Avery had met her, he did something Dib had never seen before, act polite.

 

In Avery's defense it was out of pure fear of her than anything else. Upon first sight of her he could see an aura of anger and darkness that almost choked him to death. The aura hit him like a boulder, actually knocking him backwards. Gaz only grinned, pleased to know that the man before her knew what he was dealing with. For the past ten years she had immersed herself into black magic, and it turned out that she possessed a great amount of power. It had explained her supernatural abilities as a child, especially when her rage went full force.

 

The thing about her powers that she loved most was the intuition. She was one step ahead of everyone. Although...

 

Looking at Avery was like looking at a blank slate. He said nothing, either verbally or otherwise. It annoyed and concerned her. Not one person was so carefully guarded to the point of psychic blocking. She couldn't pinpoint how he was so closed off. He was the first person she had ever contacted that she couldn't read.

 

Avery finally became fed up, his eye twitching. "Stop staring at me."

 

Gaz only glowered at him, causing a shiver to go up his spine. He looked away after that and decided to work somewhere else. He didn't trust her one bit. She screamed dangerous.

 

"I cannot believe that is your sister." Avery whispered at Dib, knowing that her eyes followed him. "She knows her way around technology but..." He trailed off when Dib nodded, sighing slightly.

 

"Imagine being related to her. Her temper is horrible, but she's smarter than she looks."

 

"She has already finished with the ship. All we have to do now is load up and follow the tracker. If you say she is where you think..." Avery still had trouble believing Dib when he said that Runa was abducted by an alien. No, aliens were beyond believable...until Dib showed Avery the footage a month ago. He had everything on this one alien he called ‘Zim’. The tracker coordinates Avery discovered were in the exact place Zim's off-site base sat.

 

Avery sighed, going to the nearest tablet and rolling though the information he was given, staring at the alien and then bringing up a picture of Runa. For a moment he stared at both of them before slamming the tablet down, ignoring when it shattered and pieces ricochet across the floor.

 

"We're leaving in an hour. Get what is necessary." He made his way into the first laboratory, dragging a cigarette pack out of his pocket and ripping it open. His hands were shaking as he attempted to light it, already feeling the ground shaking. He quickly took a drag, leaning back against the wall and finishing off a stick before the quaking subsided.

 

"Telekinesis."

 

Avery's eyes narrowed, turning his head to meet Gaz. "I told you to stop staring at me."

 

"That isn't a natural telekinesis either. You can't control it. It's more powerful than you." She continued, following him when he tried to leave.

 

"I don't know how you found out, but I know how to get rid of you."

 

"When you broke that tablet, your rage tore a hole into your subconscious. That’s when I saw it." She refused to stop, not looking amused or concerned.

 

Avery sat down at his console, loading up the tracking code. "Whatever you see, keep it to yourself. I refuse to give you my life story as you aren't staying in my life for long. You and your snoopy brother can just disappear after this."

 

Gaz gave him a playful smirk then, now getting amused. "Once Pandora's Box has been opened, it is impossible to close." She decided to leave then, and Avery only felt even more irritated, smoking on another cigarette while checking the tracking status.

 

It flickered before vanishing completely.

 

Avery slammed his hand against the console, the cig falling from his mouth. "Fuck!" His reaction caught the attention of the other two, who looked back to see the computer screen bring up the information that Dib had given him. Dib's eyes widened, knowing exactly what Avery was going to do.

 

Avery's fingers were moving at a rapid rate, the codes and commands appearing on the screen faster than they could read them. Avery was hacking into the satellite base that they knew Runa was inside. Dib hurried over and held onto the back of Avery's chair, watching and biting his lip. Zim was up there, he was hiding away and Avery's sister was up there with him. The answer to his growing array of questions were clouded. He looked down at the other man. Maybe Zim discovered...

 

No, that couldn't be it.

 

But Zim was all about his planetary domination. Would he force someone trained for battle to fight for his cause? Dib knew Zim better than anything.

 

Avery slammed his fist against the console again, clenching his teeth. "I will not be beaten by an alien firewall. Computer, execute the Lycroft Virus on that program." He shouted.

 

"As you wish Master Avery." A smooth feminine voice echoed out.

 

Avery input the code, watching as the computer took over and attacked the firewall. He grinned, watching it chip away and feeling the superiority wash over him. "Some advanced alien technology."

 

Dib watched Avery work, his eyes widening at how easy it was for him to hack into Zim's own hardware. "Even I couldn't do that!"

 

"Some people were born for it." Avery stated simply, although with a slight bitter tone to his words. He typed until the Irken symbol appeared, and he grinned. "Membrane, you know this language. Translate." Avery left the seat and let Dib take over. He was better with Irken technology and the way he swept through commands and controls impressed Avery slightly.

 

Dib was feeling exhilarated, hacking into Zim's base brought back memories of excitement and childlike glee. It wasn't until the whole laboratory began to erupt in noise did he stop.

 

"Interception. Interception. Satellite signal receiving." The voice overhead announced, and all of the screens switched on, static flickering before Zim's visage was visible. His expression became stunned at the sight of Dib, his alien eyes narrowing.

 

"I should have known!"

 

Dib was astounded, staring at Zim with dumbfounded shock. All those years searching for him and he was just there, sitting above Earth and just being Zim! He couldn't think of anything to say. He couldn't even open his mouth. Avery took that moment to shove the man out of his seat and take over, glaring at the alien before him. "I did it, now tell me what you did with my sister or I will unleash a virus that will send that ship you’re in crashing down!"

 

"That would take a chunk out of the planet." Gaz commented as she played her Game Slave Ultra.

 

"The threat still stands."

 

Zim's antennae quirked, staring at Avery with astonishment. "Sister...a sibling. A sibling that hacked into my SUPREME IRKEN FIREWALL." The shock turned into rage and then into interest, then back into rage. "WHY HAVE YOU HACKED MY BASE?"

 

Avery winced at the yelling and glared at him. "I. Want. Runa." He hissed, the equipment in his lab beginning to quake.

 

Gaz caught that, one eye opening at Avery as she shut down the game.

 

"Avery!" Dib shouted.

 

"If you don't bring my sister back to me at these coordinates within TWENTY FOUR HOURS," Zim cried out, retracting as his own screen cracked, "I will make sure you won't live the minute after."

 

The screen went black then, and Zim stared at the broken glass. He could still feel it, the boiling rage that was emanating from the screen. The human's power was too great. No power could make his screen shatter from all that way. It was familiar...reminiscent of a certain species that his kind had eliminated.

 

Zim went quiet for a moment, thinking before snapping his fingers. "Computer, run the human's DNA in comparison to the recorded DNA of subject 25709-M."

 

"Processing." The monotone voice of his computer announced, the screen showing diagrams of both samples, feeding them together. "Subject 25709-M and Subject EXP1 have similar genetic material."

 

Zim looked bothered at the result, his fingers swiftly entering codes and commands. "The human's genetic material classifies as a hybrid race, which explains everything. Humans are a deadly race, they may claim to have morals but deep down they are animalistic in nature. Kill or be killed, as many other races believe. However, with the joining of a race that is strictly pacifist in nature it proves to be a paradox for that female. With this new information in mind I know now what I have to do." He frowned then, thinking back to the discussion with the said sibling. It must mean they are genetic matches... If that was true then such a threat made would be null.

 

The rage he could feel emanating from the male told him otherwise.

 

Could that human possibly done something to fight against that strong pacifistic nature? Those eyes. They were eyes of a being who has killed before.

 

Zim grunted. He had a perfect hybrid in his grasp but the one who had no qualms in killing was on Earth. Sibling entities, both showing signs of their genetic abnormalities. The characteristics of the Meekrob race were things that the Irken Empire took to be a threat. Their regeneration abilities were unique, faster than any Irken. Powerful mental abilities that could, if provoked, destroy an entire planet. They were strictly pacifistic, however, but it didn't stop from his race from destroying the Meekrob. They didn't want to take any chances of an uprising, no matter how slim the odds were.

 

So how did two humans become infused with the genetics of a dead race? The Tallests were careful to eliminate every single one.

 

Either way, Zim now had a genuine opportunity on his hands. He was in ownership of a Meekrob-Human hybrid and now that he understood the details, he knew what exactly to do.

 

He had a time limit, and if the sibling's powers were that extreme then he couldn't take his threat lightly.


	6. Demons

Gaz caught Avery as soon as he fell. The man was already bleeding from his nose, having passed out after the transmission was forcibly cut. She and Dib dragged Avery to the elevator, grunting as they shoved him inside and soon after moving him to a couch in the living room.

 

"What the fuck just happened?" Dib asked, quickly getting an ice pack and a towel. He watched her clean him up, sighing.

 

"This moron almost ruptured his entire brain. The power he holds is too strong for his body to handle. Unfortunately, it's activated depending on his mood." She left for the kitchen and came back to apply an ice pack to Avery's forehead. "He's a danger to everyone if he stays this way."

 

Dib frowned, "How do you know all of this?"

 

She eyed him, "The same way I know what you do every night after looking at the stars. When you're looking for Zim." She flashed him a knowing look, causing him to blush.

 

"What do we do, then?" Dib knelt next to Avery, watching the other's face. He looked entirely different...

 

Gaz noticed the way he looked at Avery, rolling her eyes and getting up. "Look after him, keep him calm and if he wakes up don't let him go back down there. I know what to do." Gaz left the house immediately.

 

Dib sat there looking after Avery for an hour or so, waiting for a sign that the other was alright and for his sister to come back. There was neither.

 

Dib sighed, stretching after a while. "My father sure knows how to pick his employees..." He laughed slightly, watching Avery's visage. "I knew there was something weird about you but I would have never guessed this much; and you call me troublesome! You're more trouble than you claim me to be." He frowned. "I feel like I've become your keeper these past few months."

 

“One more word out of you and I will choke you to death.” Avery mumbled quietly.

 

Dib blinked. How long has he been awake? "A-Avery?"

 

His eyes cracked open, the scientist looking at the other man with an irritated glare. “Do you always talk to yourself when you're alone?”

 

Dib stared at him, dumbstruck. “Should you be unconscious?”

 

Avery shut his eyes, sighing. “If I was normal, yes, I shouldn’t be speaking at all right now.” He sounded exhausted.

 

Dib was having trouble sorting through this new information. "So you’re actually superhuman or something?"

 

Avery opened his eyes slightly, staring at him. “No, but my sister and I hold the ability to heal at a rapid pace. I have learned to deal with the fact that no other person can do what we do.” Avery watched him steadily. “I blame you for all of this, Membrane. I just wish I had the foresight to see where your curiosity would lead. This Zim is from your past, it seems that our paths were destined to cross, then. That means you will be my problem until I take care of him.”

 

Dib stood up, getting sick of the lecture. "You're my problem too!" He shouted. "Zim was the only thing I thought about until you came along, you have to take responsibility for that! You call me a problem but so far I've been taking care of you like you were a child! I hardly get any sleep now and if I do then I dream about you and who you might be--" He stammered then, realizing that it sounded more like a creepy confession.

 

“Take responsibility? For becoming your new obsession, it sounds like. I don't see how it is my fault... You sound like more of a child than I do, chasing aliens and anything abnormal in search for any sign that this world holds more. So, now you have it. Now you have me, I'm immobile and helpless. Your obsession is lying right in front of you. Will you go and dissect me or just put me in a bottle?”

 

The more Dib listened the more he could feel his limbs shake. He remembered his childhood dream with Zim. Finally capturing him and proving to the world that they existed, that the paranormal wasn't just the dreams of crazy people. He imagined dissecting him on an autopsy table, obtaining proof and glory. Man, how it all changed when he grew older. It changed from wanting to expose him to the world to keeping him all to himself. As time went by the desire to prove himself to others disappeared, and more and more he just wanted to keep that secret all to himself. Zim was his alien, his personal truth. He wanted to be greedy and capture him, but instead of dissecting the alien he wanted to keep him in that proverbial jar, just like the jar he kept fireflies in when he was even younger.

 

Now there he was, standing in front of a new secret. A secret in which he couldn't unlock. Unlike Zim, however, this secret was bigger. He could feel it. If he obtained that key and unlocked it, then he knew that he wouldn’t be the only one who could keep him. The jar would shatter, and the fireflies would die.

 

"The bottle would break." Dib finally told him. He sat back down, frowning. "It also sounds like...you had been dissected before, so I won't do that either."

 

Avery's eyes opened at that, and he sat up slightly. He looked at Dib, opening his mouth before shutting it.

 

They both stayed quiet after that.

 

* * *

 

 

The human was terrified, running frantically through the darkened hallways in a panic. He could feel his heartbeat pounding, feeling like it was going to burst through his chest. He was on the battlefield only minutes ago, firing at the enemy. Suddenly he was here, up in space and now being hunted down by something. He didn't know what but it was horrifying. It crawled into the crevices in his mind, taunting him and making his hair stand on end. He clutched his gun close to his body, hearing noises from all over but seeing nothing.

 

 _'I can see you.'_ The voice laughed in his mind.

 

"SHOW YOURSELF!" The soldier screamed, his eyes darting from corner to corner. He whipped around, firing at something that ran behind an obstruction. He followed after the figure, only finding nothing. He was beginning to shake, now taking fire at anything he thought was moving.

 

A small chuckle filtered through his ragged breathing, and the soldier felt a sharp blade press against his throat. Runa grinned, hooking her arm around the soldier's was it and pulling him uncomfortably close against her. "Your screams sound wonderful." She grinned, taking the blade in her hand and lifting it from the man's throat. "I want to hear more."

 

A woman... It was a woman! The soldier screamed in rage and broke himself free, twisting around to fire at her. Runa only laughed, jumping back. She didn't flinch when she was hit from a few rounds, instead looking down at a bullet wound in her shoulder and dipping a finger into the blood, moving it to her lips to taste it. "Warm." A twisted grin took over and she ran at the soldier that began to flee, laughing as she launched at him, swiping the blade at the man's Achilles tendon. The man let out a strangled cry and crashed into the floor, coming face to face with his predator once he stumbled back up. Runa smiled at him, grabbing the man by the throat and raising the soldier off of his feet. He struggled to breathe, staring at the woman that held him.

 

"You--you're a--demon." He gasped out.

 

Runa only smirked.

 

"I'm just like you." She said quietly, gripping the blade and running it through him, twisting it and listening to the man's cries as the sharp edges tore through his insides. She tossed the blade away then, reaching into the wound and tearing out a handful of the man's intestines, showing it to him and laughing. She continued to pull, watching the soldier's face as he struggled for his last breath, the life going out in his eyes. Without a care she dropped him then, tossing the guts in her hand on top of the bloodied corpse. Half of her was stained in the fresh blood, dripping freely from her fingers before she raised her hand to lick it off.

 

Runa made her way back to the door when it was all over, stepping through with a disappointed frown. Zim was waiting, grinning up at her.

 

"He was weak." She said simply.

 

He beckoned for her to follow, leading the hybrid out of the room. "Runa-pet, do not worry. I have better prey for you, but for now we have other plans. Come, your master has a date he needs to keep."

 

He was extremely satisfied. The hybrid was under his control, the modifications he made to her were perfect. She had become lustful for the fight, almost insane. He loved that part about the change the most. The bloodlust, the glint of mischief in her eyes and the way they battled made him feel hot inside, completely enthralled... With the thought of his plans coming together.

 

Zim could never think of a human as anything other than inferior tools. This one, however, was anything but inferior. Technically the female wasn't even a human, she was a hybrid. A joining of the lowest species he had encountered and one of the most spectacular species in the vast universe. Her mental stability was stronger than he thought, and it had taken him so much to finally break into her psyche. Now her loyalties were to him and him alone. There were no more problems when it came to killing. In fact, he had unleashed a wonderful desire inside of her. Her bloodlust was so great that it awakened something within him. He had no idea what it was, but he found it pleasing.

 

It was pleasing, watching her bathe in the blood of the humans he caught for her. Hearing the laugh that came after the kill. Her movements were reminiscent of the first night he had discovered her. Agile, fast and flexible. She moved like a shadow and struck like a viper. Alluring and deadly, and all his.

 

His hybrid.

 

Zim flinched at the thought, frowning slightly. He was becoming possessive of a human... No, this wasn't the only time.

 

The first time he felt this way was

 

Dib.

 

Although, with Dib it was strictly the opposite. Dib was an annoying bothersome pest that never stopped. He was like a virus, nothing kept him away. No matter what Zim did, it only drove Dib closer to him. Up until the day he abandoned his land base, Dib had been there to 'chase' him. Dib had become a staple in his life on Earth. The only human that knew what he really was, the only human who was determined to stop him from his plans. The only human that appeared to be smarter than anyone else on the planet. He had become his human. The only one he found himself wanting to put in a glass jar so he could make sure that Dib stayed his.

 

Zim stopped walking, thinking back to the discussion with Runa's sibling. He was there. His Dib had hacked into his systems, as he had always done.

 

He had a chance.

 

Irkens were selfish. They were created with a sense of self-entitlement, which was proof in how they worked to forever grow their Empire. Zim was no exception. Despite being exiled and humiliated, he still carried the need to acquire. Unfortunately for the Tallests, they unlocked his desire for revenge. He was going to take what he thought, no, what he knew he deserved. All his life he wanted things he couldn't have. He wanted a title. He wanted to be noticed. He wanted power and respect and instead of receiving any of it they took things from him. They took away his title. They took away his pride. They took away his identity. It was his turn to take. It was his time to want. He was going to get what he deserved.

 

He was going to do that by taking the Empire for himself.

 

Zim took his hybrid's hand and ushered her into a room, shoving her into a shower area. "You stink of human waste. Clean yourself." Even though he commanded her to do so Zim took it upon himself to cut her clothing away with his spider-legs, discarding the rags into a bin next to him and turning the faucet. "Sit."

 

Runa silently obeyed, sitting in the tub while the liquid fell. She grunted a little, wiping away the blood from her hand before Zim grabbed at her hair, washing her like one would a pet. "Once you're clean go and ready yourself. I have something to do before we make our way down. You remember the code, yes?"

 

Runa sighed, “I do, but I can clean myself.”

 

"Quiet. This ha-ire of yours soaks up that mess. It stinks and I hate it and you don't wash it right."

 

Runa looked like a grumpy child, and she grabbed him by the arm and dragged Zim into the tub with her. “You complain too much.” She simply frowned, splashing him.

 

He shouted out once he landed into the liquid, glaring up at her. When he sat up he suddenly felt so small. Compared to the hybrid he was still tiny. As tiny as he was when he first arrived on Earth. It was one of the reasons why he fled to the satellite base; gradually seeing everyone he once knew in that horrible school become taller than him, especially Dib, began to irritate him. It was eating at his self-confidence, and made him angry. There was no excuse for such a lame race to earn the right to grow when he was cursed to stay the way he was.

 

Runa wrapped her arms around him and drew him close, letting him sit in her lap as he brooded. She could hear the chaos in his head, although it was in his own language, it still had familiar emotions. She settled her chin on the top of his head. “You're bothersome. Always loud even if your mouth is closed.”

 

Zim clenched his teeth and tore himself away from her, getting out of the tub and storming off, "Under Zim's control and yet the hybrid does what she wants."

 

_'Do you expect a mindless slave? The fact that you have gotten her to kill is proof that she no longer resists you. But it will come with a price.'_

 

Zim raised his head, looking at an identical image of himself.

 

_'You know this human is more powerful than you first had realized. Because of what you did, you have probably unleashed something that could devour you. To make a blood contract with that species is-'_

 

"I know, I KNOW!" Zim shouted at his visage, removing a glove from his hand and staring at the bandage, his own blood still staining the fabric. "The hybrid is necessary to Zim. I need that power."

 

_'That is an unstable creature you contracted with. If you cannot keep your sanity she will devour your mind.'_

 

"Psh! Zim is indestructible, my sanity is perfectly-"

 

"Zim, who are you talking to?" Runa frowned, peeking out from the other room.

 

Zim stopped, looking around. He was all alone. "Nothing, go get dressed." He left then, looking at his hand again.

 

"Nothing will defeat Zim."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Gaz sliced the dagger across Dib's palm, causing him to scream. "Suck it up." She snapped, moving to do the same to Avery.

 

"Oh hell no!" Avery shouted, scrambling away. Gaz looked irritated.

 

"Either I run this across your palm or through your neck, choose one."

 

Avery winced at the threat and moved back into place, hesitantly holding out his hand. "I still don't see why we have to do this."

 

The laboratory was black, the only light emitting from the many candles Gaz had brought back with her. They all surrounded an occult circle that she had drawn into the floors earlier. Dib and Avery looked confused and slightly scared, but Gaz looked indifferent, flipping through a tome in front of them. "Join your hands together."

 

"You still haven't told us what we're doing!" Avery shouted, feeling more and more pissed off. Gaz slapped him with the book.

 

"If you keep flying off the handle then I will be your contractor, and I will make you regret it!" She hissed.

 

Dib looked up at her, "Contractor? What?"

 

"Avery has demonic powers." She told them, glaring at the one in question. "You need to make a contract with him before he destroys himself or the planet. He's unstable when he gets angry." She took it upon herself to press their bleeding hands together, wrapping them with a cloth. "Dib, you will control his powers by forming a blood contract with Avery."

 

Avery's eyes widened, and he tried to tug on the hold. "Hey no no no who said I agree with this? I'm not a demon!"

 

"Clam it, I know demonic powers when I see them." Gaz kept their hands together, "Now repeat after me, and if you fuck this up I'll kill you both." She glared at Avery, "Exaudi me, sanguis sanguinem. Et servus meus suscipiam te. Quid factum est, quia unum sunt."

 

Avery repeated the words, growing unnerved at this whole ritual.

 

Gaz turned to Dib, who perked anxiously. "Exaudi me, sanguis sanguinem. Ego suscipiam te servum meum et dominum vestrum. Quid factum est, quia unum sunt."

 

Dib repeated, and Gaz took a bottle of liquid and splashed it on the circle, the entire symbol beginning to pulse. Their blood began to glow between them, and Avery suddenly felt his body lurch forward, something inside of him stirring. He screamed, the ground shaking underneath him. He ripped his hand away from Dib's to grab at his own head.

 

"The demon inside of him is trying to resist, Dib you control his powers now! Command him!" Gaz got to her feet. Dib panicked, not knowing what to do. The floor split underneath him and he screamed, launching himself on Avery and smacking him. "Snap out of it!" He screamed.

 

Avery felt his blood pulsate, his screams dying out as he felt whatever it was calm down, finally settling. The shaking slowly stopped and Dib breathed a sigh of relief.

 

"Thank goodness." Dib sighed, before Avery punched him in the face, glaring at him.

 

"Smack me again and I will break your nose."

 

Dib coughed, scrambling back. "Gaz, I thought you said I could control him!"

 

She rolled her eyes. "I said you could control his powers, not him in general." She folded her arms, "I have to warn you both. For both a demon and a contractor, this isn't a light agreement."

 

"I'm not a demon!" Avery shouted, but suddenly Gaz was behind him.

 

She smacked him with the book, hissing. "As your Master, Dib has control over all of the power you hold. He will keep you from overloading and help you stay balanced. But controlling a demon isn't easy. Demons are unstable creatures to begin with, their powers can destroy everything and anything. When a contract with someone is formed, it stabilizes their abilities. But if the contractor isn't stable then the power will consume them, and the demon will overpower its Master and consume their soul."

 

Dib looked at his sister, shocked. "G-Gaz are you trying to kill me?" He pointed at Avery. "Why did you force me to go along with this?"

 

Avery looked insulted, moving to punch him again but Gaz got between them. "I trust you, Dib. If I thought you weren't stable then you wouldn't be doing this." She looked at him, frowning. "You were the only one who could see the things others refused to see. You ruined your childhood to try and show the truth to others even if they laughed at you. Letting yourself be ousted by those you tried to protect and never turning against them; you are the most stable person I know. Dad couldn't even see what Avery was. You prove yourself no matter if it's with Zim, or now with Avery, that you can handle everything."

 

Dib felt dumbstruck, staring at Gaz in awe of her words. His sister, who threatened him and terrorized him at every possible chance, but in the same breath never doubted him or lied to him. She was always there, watching. "You really think that much of me?"

 

She smiled slightly. "If you make me repeat myself I'm going to stab you."

 

Dib smiled back.

 

Avery sighed, looking at his hand, which was already healing. "So my sister and I qualify as demons?" He frowned. Avery and his sister were raised immediately knowing what they were. They were experiments. They were to be used. Only when they freed themselves they decided that no one would use them ever again. He secretly knew that they wouldn't be able to escape their powers but to actually discover that he was demonic...

 

What did this mean for his sister? She was the more unstable of the two. Only because of what she was forced to do... A past like hers would drive anyone insane. When they escaped she vowed never to kill...

 

If anything happened, he couldn't guess what destruction would lie ahead.

 

Dib frowned, looking over at Avery, it wasn't hard to wonder what he was thinking about. "Zim should be here soon." He reassured him.

 

"It doesn't matter. He will die for taking her." Avery whispered. "We aren't tools."

 

"Now that I control your powers I won't let you kill him." Dib said flatly, watching him.

 

Avery clenched his teeth and moved to grab Dib by his collar. "Don't get in my way, Membrane!"

 

"Stop calling me Membrane! Either way, Zim is _my_ problem!" Dib shouted, shoving Avery back. "If anyone is going to punish him then it will be me, but I won't allow you to kill him!" He had a stone hard glare that warned Avery, which told the scientist how serious the man was being.

 

Avery sighed, looking away and stepping through the lab, shutting himself away into the next room.

 

Gaz watched quietly, glancing over at Dib before he too left. "Children..."


	7. Reunion

Runa found herself back at inside that laboratory, standing in a bloodstained spot that only months ago was the scene of her first battle with Zim. She left the spot to follow after the wandering alien. "I don't like this place." Runa said to him, pushing a door open to an all-too familiar room. Zim was inside, scanning the room.

 

"Then why did I find you here?"

 

Runa flinched and folded her arms, feeling insecure, "Paying my respects." She explained quietly. "Many have died here..."

 

Zim looked back, picking up on her reaction and finishing for her. "Because of you."

 

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Do not repeat that!" She looked angry, shaking slightly. "You don't understand the history of this place. You don't understand what I was put through." She made it over to him and grabbed his arm, "Please Zim, I want to leave."

 

"I'm not done searching for the genetic signatures!" He fought, "If you were created here, then it means they were here too."

 

"I don't care about what was here. I don't care where I come from. All I know is that we were treated horribly ever since we were born because of it. You don't understand how it feels to be used and thrown away, called broken."

 

Zim's antennae perked at her words, looking at her as she continued. "You don't know how it feels to grow up in a lie and discover how horrible the truth is. I was just a defective tool for their own personal gain." When Runa stopped she noticed that Zim was now face to face with her, having rose himself on his appendages. He stared at her for quite a while without sound. She stared back, searching those crimson eyes for something. He then reached forward and placed his hands on either side of her face.

 

"You underestimate what Zim has been through. I know exactly how it feels. You did what was justified in every right. Instead of looking upon this place in sorrow look upon it with pride. Zim commands it. Take pride in knowing you have gotten revenge."

 

She couldn't pull away, but instead began to tear up. "Not everyone here was at fault! I took the lives of innocents and that isn't fair! Revenge didn't change a thing." She saw his stare harden and he growled.

 

"Those humans were not innocent if they worked here. Shedding a tear for casualties in war is not a thing true soldiers do. You are an elite soldier with Irken blood now running through your veins. MY blood is in you. There is no room for regret and guilt!" He hissed, pulling her face closer. "Zim is your master. Now show me the lower levels of this facility."

 

Runa nodded hesitantly and did as he said.

 

Zim followed after her, glancing to the side and stopping at a shattered mirror. His form was grinning back at him. _'You're doing that thing again.'_ It chided.

 

"What?" Zim hissed back.

 

_'I thought you learned your lesson with the Dib. Humans aren't worthy of you.'_

 

"No one is worthy of Zim!" He shouted at the image. "Who are you to care about my escapades?"

 

 _'The Dib is one thing, but this human is more dangerous. You insist on playing with fire. You will get burned eventually.'_ The Zim in the mirror gave a twisted sort of grin, _'No matter how delicious the heat may be.'_

 

Zim's cheeks went dark briefly before kicking the mirror, running after Runa after she called to him. Talking to himself was proving to become an annoying thought provoking experience.

 

* * *

 

Hours after he got what he needed Zim followed the woman's directions to their home. The house looked pretty mundane, although located in a strange place. It looked all too familiar... Fucking hell, Dib lived in this wretched town.

 

He parked the ship near the vacant lot next to the barbed wire fence. It was a pretty barbaric security measure, but he could sense more discreet security measures just by studying the yard. It was pretty much impressive, if one was a smeet protecting its cookies.

 

Runa got to the fence and held him back before opening it. She then made her way past the traps she knew about before reaching the keypad to enter the code to disable them. She waved him forward and smiled “Hurt my brother and I will hurt you, and be on your guard. He might be pissed.”

 

"You, hurt your Master?" Zim laughed at that and followed her inside, before racing back out.

 

Dib tried his hardest to grab onto Avery, who chased after Zim with a knife. He finally caught the man and held him back.

 

"You fucking alien! What did you do to her?" Avery hissed, trying to get free.

 

Runa clapped her hands together and gave Zim an apologizing look.

 

Zim only stuck his tongue out at Avery, his eyes then falling on Dib...or more likely Dib's arms around Avery's waist. He felt a flare of jealousy hit him, and could hear his own voice laughing from a distance.

 

"What is your hands doing around that filthy stink-monster?" He asked accusingly.

 

Dib's eyes widened before glaring back at him, "Rather I let go and let him stab you?" He snapped back.

 

Zim considered his options before shaking his head.

 

"Dib, damnit, I don't care about what you said, I want an autopsy!" Avery shouted.

 

Dib whined and held on tighter, hearing Gaz cough at him he bit his lip and sighed. “Avery, you will not kill Zim."

 

Avery glared at Runa instead, and the other looked away uncomfortably before going back inside. "Get the fuck back here Runa, what did he make you do?" He chased after her.

 

Zim and Dib exchanged looks for a while. There was an awkward tension between them and what each of them just discovered probably made it worse.

 

"So how long were you planning to stay up there, Zim? Were you planning to come back or go back to your beloved Tallests?" Dib's acidic tone made Zim flinch. He glared back.

 

"Why does it concern a human? You should have been happy Zim left your stink-hole. Why aren't you gloating about my failure to conquer it?"

 

The game wasn't back. Something was off and both of them knew it. Things changed too much to go back as they were. "Zim..." Dib started, then shook his head. "Zim I waited so long--"

 

Zim interrupted him, his eyes falling to see the bandage around his hand. It matched the one that was around Avery’s. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what happened. "You… have made a blood contract with that human, but instead of killing me you made it back down. Zim owes you thanks." He made his way past Dib and into the house, leaving him alone.

 

"I really missed you..." Dib said to the air.

 

* * *

 

The tension couldn't be cut with a knife no matter how hard one tried. The more they tried to pretend it was normal the more awkward it was. Gaz stayed quiet playing her game and periodically glancing at the four. She mumbled something under her breath that sounded closely to the word "idiots".

 

Avery never took seething eyes off of Zim ever since he came inside. The alien refused to acknowledge him however, instead staring at both Runa and Dib. Two humans with strong connections to the great Zim. He took a quick glance at Avery and frowned in disapproval. The Dib being blood bonded to that thing was annoying. If he had a choice he would have ended it, but breaking a blood contract had fatal consequences.

 

 _‘Jealousy is such a human emotion.’_ He heard his visage grin, sitting on the other end of the room. _‘You didn't mark him fast enough and now he's bound to that thing.’_

 

"Shut up! THE DIB STILL BELONGS TO ME." Zim's sudden shriek broke the silence, and Dib froze.

 

"Zim?"

 

"How dare you let yourself be bound to another! I had claim on you first Dib-stink!" Zim continued, his imaginary self snickering.

 

Dib found himself blushing but stood up in offense. "I'm not something to be claimed! And if I was, who said he claimed me?" He pointed at Avery, who in turn went red and shot up.

 

"I did not ask for this! Your sister was the one who forced this on me! I'm the one who has to put up with the burden of having you control me!"

 

"It's not something I want." Dib muttered, sitting down and folding his arms.

 

"What's your excuse?" Avery pointed an accusing finger at Zim, who snapped a glare back at him and hopped up to the chair to gain height, antennae pinned back in anger. "I was on the brink of destroying myself, what made you force this on my sister?"

 

Zim hissed at him. "What I did with my Runa-human is my business only! If you weren’t her sibling-unit I would have terminated you."

 

Runa didn’t really like being in the middle of the fight; feeling a headache coming on when Zim’s emotions broke into her mind. She looked over to Dib and noticed he was giving her a curious stare. Without a word she looked away and rubbed her temples, sighing.

 

 _‘I'm sorry.’_ Dib heard in his head, and he knew it was the sister. He didn't know how to take it, and just nodded.

 

Runa stood up in the middle of the word battle and went upstairs to her room. Dib followed, and no one noticed but Gaz, though she didn't really care.

 

Dib walked in, watching her take a sword into her hands and set it on the bed. "He abducted you."

 

Runa looked up at him, "You’re right about that. I...really don't know what to make of everything that happened, but he's my master now." She showed him the scar on her palm. “If you’re asking, I didn’t choose it. I can’t really kill him like I would want so I’m just going to roll with it.”

 

Dib sighed and looked at his own healing cut, having healed a bit faster because of Avery’s blood. "Zim... he may seem like he is a moron but everything he does is more planned out than you think. I wouldn't trust what he tells you, he works for the greater good of himself and his leaders. He probably wants to use you."

 

"And you're not using my brother?" Runa asked sarcastically, smirking a little.

 

Dib waved his hands defensively. "I'm saying this from experience, alright? I've been around Zim since I was a child. I know how he thinks..." He sighed when her gaze softened. "I just wanted to warn you. He's unpredictable."

 

Runa sat down and watched him, thinking it over. "I’m also unpredictable, I think that’s why he did this."

 

He didn't know how to take that and sighed, lingering around the doorway and not really wanting to go back out into the fight. For some reason he was getting a headache from it. "Zim...why did he take you?" He asked uneasily, looking at her Irken branded eye patch.

 

"Because we are alike." She answered with a small smile. "We've been hurt, used, discarded and branded as imperfect." She remembered their talk earlier and sighed. "If you look closely, he has that pain in his eyes."

 

Dib felt uneasy. Was that how jealousy felt? Zim had been gone for so long and now he returns but with someone... It may be only a blood bond but from that woman's mouth she seemed to understand him just as much as Dib had. He didn't like it, he didn't like how everything turned out. Him with Avery and Zim with Runa and everything was just fucked up completely.

 

"Runa-pet." Zim's voice broke through his thoughts and he turned to see Zim standing at the door. "Dib." He was held by the alien's stare for as long as Zim had him. Right away he could tell something was wrong with the other.

 

Zim was standing too close to the human. He missed the scent of leather that came from the Dib's coat. He couldn't stop staring, captivated by how tall he became. Realization hit all of a sudden and Zim looked away, suddenly regretting it. His height was becoming infuriating. If his plan must go into motion then Zim had to fix himself.

 

Just like that, Zim left. Runa and Dib watched as he made an irritated sound and stormed off. They both traded questioning glances. Though, Dib looked worried, watching as Runa eventually left to chase after Zim.

 

* * *

 

An agreement was met. Avery was forced to give Zim use of his laboratory if he planned on staying. The alien at first planned to leave with Runa in toe but at the sound of Avery’s screaming Gaz laid down the rules. The alien made himself at home, of course, and locked himself inside immediately. Avery was entirely against the alien staying at his house, bust since his former base had been taken over by a gang of bums, Zim took it upon himself to give Avery no other choice.

 

Dib decided to stay in the house for that night when Gaz decided it was time to go home. He was worried about Zim. For the past few hours watching him the alien had begun short heated conversations with no one. He would often scream out at odd times, about something or another. Although Zim screaming out things and talking to himself was considered normal, something about how he was doing it now struck a chord in him. To Dib, Zim seemed a little more off the deep end than he should be.

 

Especially when he still hadn't left the lab after three whole days.

 

"He changed my access code, I'm going to kill him." Avery hissed, pounding on the door in his closet while Dib paced the room. "Whatever he's doing down there is suspicious and I will not allow that alien to taint my inventions with his evil!"

 

"You don't even know what he's doing. Runa is down there to keep an eye on him." Dib mentioned, which bothered him. He wouldn't let Dib see him but that woman...

 

Avery was just as bothered, his eye twitching from the stress, "Once I get down there I will make sure to skin him alive." He ignored Dib's annoyed glare and continued to work on the console.

 

* * *

 

Deep within the laboratory's sound-proof walls the Irken was working tirelessly. He had connected the laboratory's teleporters to his own up in the satellite base to tote chemicals back and forth. Runa had been allowed inside only on the condition that she wouldn't get in his way, and she obeyed. Although even without his hybrid in the room he was never alone, keeping up conversations with the Zim that insisted on appearing to him even more now.

 

 _'Even if it works, do you really think it will give you the recognition you deserve?'_ The visage asked, leaning against the table behind him.

 

Zim narrowed his eyes behind goggles "I refuse to wait and hope I get taller over time. This serum will awaken my growth hormone and accelerate it to how I see fit."

 

The other Zim chuckled. _'You risk making the ultimate taboo in our race to further your own agenda. You sound pretty sure that you will succeed.'_

 

"Zim is confident!" He hissed, taking the syringe of yellow chemical and turning to his image. "Zim will succeed and have the Tallests on their knees begging for mercy!" He reached back to open his PAK and injected the syringe into a tube, tossing it aside and waiting.

 

The image only watched with a grin as Zim dropped to the floor in a new-found agony and pain as the transformation began.

 

 

Runa woke up from her sleep at the sudden blood-curdling screams. She pushed herself off of the gurney and was about to move, but stopped. He ordered her to remain hidden, no matter how much he screamed. The woman sighed and laid back down, moving her hands over her ears in attempt to block the sound. It lasted for at least two hours, until the now-painful screams turned into ragged cries and then into a silence that was more uncomfortable than anything.

 

Another hour of silence passed and Runa stayed in the dark room, glancing at the doorway outside. She could hear movement. There was a faint sound in the distance; a string of words. It was the Irken language. Runa had heard him speak in it long enough to recognize the style. Though she couldn't decipher the words, she felt bothered.

 

 _'You better hide, hybrid,'_ A voice broke her from her thoughts, Runa turned to see Zim sitting beside her....but it wasn't Zim at all. _'He awakened more than his growth hormone.'_

 

Before Runa could reach over to touch the visage she flinched at the sound of broken machinery. She shot to her feet, heading in the opposite direction of the noise. She quickly maneuvered through the lab, knowing the layout like the palm of her hand. Finding the door she was looking for and escaping inside, Runa shut it slowly and sighed. She leaned against the door and shut her eye. The noise of destruction was still there but now distant. Runa pushed herself away from the door and used the darkness to find a spot to spend the rest of her time inside. It wasn't like Zim would be searching for her for long, would it?

 

Runa ended up falling asleep, having been hiding in the second lab for at least another hour. She had to move to the farthest end, the Irken's destruction having gotten closer. When she woke up everything was quiet. It was too quiet and that made her alert. She shifted out from under a desk to look around, finding nothing out of place.

 

This new silence wasn't the kind that made you relax. There was something about the atmosphere, the tension. She could feel something different in the atmosphere.

 

He found her.

 

Runa felt goose bumps form on her skin and moved, taking a deep breath and cautiously left the table.

 

Immediately something launched itself right at her, knocking Runa back until her back hit the table. She cried out in pain before twisting free from the strong arms, kicking forward and throwing punches. The form before her swiftly dodged her fists, twisting himself and grabbing her arm, throwing her against the wall and pinning her there, metal appendages shooting out from its PAK and forming a steel cage around them.

 

Runa winced, squirming against the body, its red eyes boring into hers. The eyes were different from before, no longer hiding pain but exposing something else. Something wild.

 

"Zim?" Runa whispered, turning her head away only to feel his hot breath against her neck. Something was wrong.

 

"Mine." His voice whispered against her skin.

 

Runa's breath hitched, her body arching to the touch of lithe fingers on her body. They slipped under her clothing and nails pressed into skin, dragging, leaving red marks in their wake. He grinned at her shuddered reaction, moving to bite into the flesh of her neck and lap at the blood that trickled out. The tingling sensation of the coppery red liquid excited him further. He continued to bite and scratch the skin, ripping off the clothing to see the scars he made. They were sure to stay. The marks would dominate her past scars and show everyone who she belonged to.

 

Runa was feeling drunk, her senses blurring the longer he was against her. The pleasant buzz mixed with the pain to make a delicious cocktail, but she had no idea why.

 

In the midst of the haze a chuckle fluttered through to her ears. Runa could see Zim, the fake Zim, languidly watching them from a table. He grinned toothily, almost in a mocking way.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Height altering is the number one taboo of the Irken culture. Mainly because choosing a Tallest is based on purity of the growth and what height stands for. Irkens that are tall are gifted with many effects that height can bring: for example an awakened libido. As breeding through intercourse is not the norm for Irkens, pleasure through intercourse is normal among the taller race. If one awakens their libido illegally then it threatens the natural order.


	8. Tallest

Retristè was a planet created with one sole purpose in mind, to shelter those who wanted freedom from the tyranny of the Irken Empire. It harbored people from all around, fugitives, travelers, even the wrongly accused. At one time the planet was inhabited by the Resisty, those who actively protested of the continued growth of the Empire and everything that it stood for. Now it was a mecca, home to anyone and everyone who wanted to stay outside of the lines. It was a trading post, a fun place to gamble, and pretty much a planet that became as famous as its creator - an Irken with the height of a Tallest, who gave up everything for his people.

 

That man went by the name of Domino. He ran The Kasbah, a bar and whore house that housed runaway slaves. Those who went to him were guaranteed someplace to hide. Though, the establishment was only a front, as his real dealings was financing the Resisty itself. He was an Irken with many enemies, and so many of his employees were also skilled in combat. Domino knew how dangerous it was to quit becoming a Tallest, as it meant that he was a threat to the Irken Empire by just being alive. His enemies also included those who wanted his power, and thought he was draining it away by not abusing his own whores and making a better living like drug dealing. As much power as Domino possessed, he could do just that. He just didn't want to.

 

Drugs and Revolution didn't mix.

 

His dark purple eyes stared out of the window to his office, looking down at the club floor below. Everything was as it should be; customers getting entertained and nothing out of the ordinary was going on. It was one of those good days, when nothing happened. In a position such as his, a calm quiet day was something to cherish and sink in.

 

He leisurely made his way across the office, which adjoined with his room, to sit at a chair. A glass of wine was already waiting for him, and he leaned back and took a drink. He could hear a sudden eruption down below but he didn't move away from his chair, hoping it would all go away soon.

 

Though, Domino already knew that nothing went his way most of the time, and the commotion had moved up to the second floor, soon behind his door as someone kicked at it, one of his employees trying to hold them back. With an irritated glare at the door he moved to pinch the middle of his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

 

The door finally gave way, bursting open and allowing entrance to the current Irken Tallest.

 

“Domino sir!” The Irken who followed was in a panic, trying to tug at the Tallest's arm but was pushed off immediately. “I tried to stop him!”

 

“Leave us.” He sighed, glancing over at the pissed off Tallest and waving his own employee away, who quickly nodded and shut the door behind him. “I thought I told you that you're not welcomed here.”

 

Red's antennae pressed back in irritation, glaring at the other. “I thought I told you I can do as I please.” He hovered his way over, folding his arms and staring at him, waiting to be served a glass.

 

Out of all the things he hated about a Tallest's life, it was the hovering. The goddamned need to make sure they never walked because they didn't want to be too bothered to move on their own, as well as the fact that they believed touching the ground with their own feet was an impurity. Spoiled, that's what it was. He was amazed Red's legs haven't fallen off.

 

“I refuse.” Domino waved him off, “You can do everything yourself, I'm not one of your service drones.”

 

Red scowled at him and hovered to the chair next to Domino's, sitting down and pouring his own glass from the table between them. “I hate you.”

 

“Then why are you here, in a place where you can easily be shot dead?” He smirked at that, watching as Red glared at him further. “You're an outsider in this land, Red. You have no supporters and the people who loathe your Empire has doubled since the last you've visited.”

 

Red hissed at him, “My own guards are outside the door, if you lay a hand on me they will have you gutted in two seconds.” He took a sip of the wine then, recollecting his thoughts. “I'm here to take you back to the Empire.”

 

Domino barked out a laugh, getting up from his chair and stretching. “You're an idiot.”

 

Red got up afterward, slamming the glass on the table. “Purple's gone, I need a second. You're the only one that equals our height.”

 

The club owner was still laughing, turning towards Red with no shame for his amusement. “Poor thing, your Empire collapses at a simple virus and you can't rebuild. You're coming to your biggest and worst enemy to help you!”

 

That earned Domino a fist to the face, and Red delivered it hard, snarling at the man, “It affected THE WHOLE FUCKING RACE.” He was beyond angry now, continuing to attack Domino with fervor. “How can you even SAY such things? Your fucking Resisty is part Irken!”

 

Domino reeled back, defending himself before finally fighting back with his own fists, “We stopped getting PAK upgrades from your Empire ages ago! If it's anyone to blame it's yourselves for being something everyone wants to TARGET.” He slammed his elbow into the other's gut, pushing Red away from himself.

 

Irkens all survived by the PAK on their backs. It was their source for everything they knew and what basically kept them alive. Every three sweeps they were required to upgrade their PAKS, making sure that they were secure against those who wanted to toy with their internal hard drives. It was what made them the advanced race they were. The virus was made to disable that, to cause the receptors into the brain to fry and implement homicidal instincts, wherein the motive was to rip and tear apart the PAKS of others.

 

It was something Red was determined not to happen again.

 

Domino wasn't sorry for what he said. When Irkens separated from the Empire it meant separating from the upgrades. They came to realize that the upgrades were an underlying threat to Irkens, either stay with the Empire and keep your PAK secure or flee and therefore risk your health. They figured out how to implement their own upgrades though third-party inventions, which became a more secure process.

 

Every Irken on the Resisty had been immune to the virus.

 

Red blamed him for it. Red hated him for it. For Purple's death. For the death of every Irken under his rule. Red wanted to kill Domino, he wanted to step on his squeedily-spooch and watch it burst under the pressure. He wanted to do the worst possible thing, but he couldn't. He needed the asshole. He needed assistance to rule the Empire. Without Purple everything was slowly going to hell. Without Purple the work was becoming unbearable. Without Purple, he was frightfully alone. He hated the fact that he was here, looking to his nemesis for help. The very Irken from day one he and Purple had tormented, ever since they learned his beliefs. He had been anti-Empire since the academy, and if it weren't for them, he would have been executed for treason.

 

There it was...

 

“You owe me.” Red hissed out. “You owe me for not having you killed.”

 

“I owe you nothing!” Domino shouted back, turning his back on him. “You and Purple abused me, you both did everything you wanted to do with me and you expect me to be THANKFUL?” He narrowed his eyes, slamming his fist into the wall. “I will never go with you. Don't you realize that I'm here because I don't agree with anything your damned Empire stands for? Especially now! Your stupid plan to abduct species and sample their genetics? Really? Do you really think that enslaving species for your own warped breeding experiments is going to fly with me? I should let the masses tear you apart right now!”

 

“This blow to our own people reduced our numbers tremendously, there is nothing wrong with looking for a way to make us stronger!” Red saw his reasoning as normal, something that he could understand. He had no idea why others saw it as a drastic measure, especially Domino.

 

Domino only saw that Red had lost his sanity. He watched him quietly and pinched his brow, groaning after a while. “This is worse than your plans to expand your territory, can't you see that? Instead of driving innocent aliens off their planets and killing those who oppose you, you're enslaving people to suit your own needs. You're forcing them to breed so you can make a stronger, better Irken. You're becoming obsessed with making the perfect species when there is no such thing!”

 

Red's glare darkened, “There will be such a thing. When we find that perfect specimen then we will re-populate our planet, then no one will be able to ruin us as they had before.” He was seething now, staring at Domino with pure hate. “I won't allow anyone to stop this, not even you.”

 

“That's what I set my life to do, to stop the Empire from doing stupid things.” Domino hissed, “This is by far the most stupid.”

 

Red looked like he was ready to kill, and Domino stood his ground, refusing to show the Tallest any indication that he wasn't afraid. He wasn't afraid at all, nothing about Red inflicted fear into him. Not anymore.

 

Red grinned at the sight, stepping closer to him. He began circling the other as if he was circling his prey. Domino didn't like it. He knew those movements and immediately moved himself away, or at least tried to. In a flash four steel appendages shot out at him, causing him to stumble back against the wall. They stabbed through the walls, pinning Domino to the spot. He hissed, grabbing one of his knives from the sash across his waist, ready to fight his way out. Red didn't react as he expected, reaching for the knife and wrapping his claws around it, ignoring the blade as it dug into him. He used that moment to rip the knife out of the club owner's hand and toss it aside, reaching up to stroke the shocked Irken's face with the bleeding palm. Domino wasn't prepared to be witness to that, as he have known Red to be quite of a prissy man, never wanting to deal with bodily fluids. Tallests were simple things, never bothered to deal with their own messes. They were groomed to be spoiled rulers that never did things themselves.

 

“You seem quite shocked.” Red purred, staring up at him. “Never thought I'd dare to injure myself...” He pushed the other flush against the wall with his other hand. Domino grimaced, pushing the other's bloody hand away from his face and staring straight at him, challenging the Irken with a growl.

 

“You don't scare me. No matter what you think, no matter what you try, you are still the same spoiled little crybaby I knew in the academy.”

 

Red released his anger into Domino with his uncut claws, slamming his fist into the other's gut and kicking him down to his knees. With his injured claws Red grabbed Domino's antennae harshly, pulling them up as well as Domino's head. Withdrawing the appendages from the wall he knelt down beside him with a hiss. “Whoever unleashed that virus on my people changed that.” He whispered, leaning forward to bite at his neck hard, intending on leaving a mark. Domino reacted violently, trying to push Red away from him, grabbing another knife from his sash but Red grabbed it again, releasing Domino's neck and settling in front of him, taking the blade and without hesitation running it over his cheek, pressing in hard enough that it began bleeding right away. After that he took it and slashed at Domino's face, dropping it at their sides.

 

Domino cried out, feeling the painful sting of the cut across his face. Hot green blood dripped from their wounds, black electricity sparking between them as their intense hatred grew. The club owner was the first to act, slamming himself onto the Tallest with a snarl and biting at his skin, his claws tearing at the armor underneath him. Red barked out in rage and slammed his elbow into the other's face, pushing the other down in a struggle for dominance. It was an intense struggle for power, both alpha males unwilling to give in to each-other, only when Red's bloody claw found the knife and stabbed it into Domino's side did the Irken howl out in defeat.

 

Red purred then, moving up slightly to encircle his tongue around the male's antennae, causing Domino to shiver and moan. “You're such a whore.” He mused, settling down beside him.

 

“Fuck off.” Domino replied painfully, closing his eyes. His side was still bleeding, but the knife was keeping the wound close.

 

“I think I've already done that.” Red taunted, moving to trace the wound on the Irken's side and tracing it with his claw. “I'm taking you back with me, no arguments.”

 

Domino didn't answer, shifting himself to lie on his uninjured side. Red smirked at that and leaned against his back, his tongue running against the back of his neck, which was home to a black Irken symbol, a sign that he was marked as his and Purple's.

 

“You are mine, after all.”

 

* * *

 

 

Avery was annoyed. Avery was irritated. Avery was ready to collect all of the cutlery in the house and dissect the green menace that plagued his existence. It had been over two months since Zim had “moved” into his laboratory. Ever since the 'height experiment', he had been acting too cocky for his own ego. Dib of all people couldn't handle the means as to how Zim reached his goal. The fact that it awakened a few dormant hormones in the alien made it worse. Because of this, Dib’s sister had avoided Zim altogether. She didn’t care to become captured like Runa was.

 

Avery didn't care about that however, he cared more about how Zim decided to take over his laboratory. His laboratory. His. The laboratory He had created. The cocky alien told him that he had plans to initiate and that his laboratory was 'good enough'. What set Avery off was the way Zim kept comparing Avery's inventions to 'smeety toys'.

 

Dib had to drag him out of the laboratory before he tried to thrash Zim's head against the wall.

 

Ever since then he had been brooding in the second laboratory, in which he was 'given' out of 'pity' by the alien. Zim thought he was in charge of everything, and because of Dib, Avery felt helpless against the greedy needs of the damn alien.

 

His blood contractor was like a puppy. Ever since Zim had re-appeared in his life Dib had been trying his best to get back into the alien's life. He was pathetic in Avery's eyes; the way he put Zim on such a pedestal and made excuses for everything he did... Although on the other hand he tried hard to make the alien compromise. To Avery, 'compromise' was a stupid word, which led to Zim 'letting' Avery use his own second laboratory. To Dib, however, he explained that dealing with Zim was like dealing with a child. Using reverse psychology worked most of the time. Especially now since his new height increase gave him an increased ego.

 

That increased ego wasn't the only thing that he had acquired. It had come with a few other annoyances. He became more aggressive and the way he tried to pick a fight with everyone, especially Runa, was almost concerning. Especially when Runa was involved. Whatever had happened the night she went down there, it had her subdued. The only evidence of the incident was all the scratches and bruises left on her body, as if they fought for hours without any end. The only reason she was out of the lab was because Dib had found her passed out in the elevator with a note scratched out in Irken. Only he was able to translate it.

 

_"If she stays down here I won't get ANY work done. Be sure to disinfect."_

 

Avery didn't want to believe what Gaz had mentioned to them when she saw Runa. It was of course, impossible. Runa was a simple person. The only thing that she knew about was combat and strategy. The word 'sex' wasn't even part of her mental vocabulary. Everything was about fighting. When it came to other… topics, she was as innocent as a toddler.

 

Dib was in his own denial because it was Zim of all people. Zim was all about destruction and his Empire. Anything outside of his mission was considered frivolous and unworthy of attention.

 

Avery looked over at Dib, who himself was trying to hack into the cameras in Zim's laboratory. Poor shit.

 

Dib didn't like it. No, in fact he hated it. He hated the fact that Zim was keeping him at a distance. He hated the fact that Zim was being secretive. He hated the fact that everything was so different between them. Zim didn't even tell him why he altered his height. The alien just looked at him and said 'it was necessary' in his own little cryptic way. Something happened, and he knew it. Of course, Zim wasn't the one to confide in anyone, especially Dib, but he eventually found out. He wasn't stupid. Zim was making sure Dib wouldn't find out.

 

The other thing he hated was the fact that he was jealous. Ever since the incident with Runa. Of course, he knew Zim better than anyone, but there was a feeling deep within his gut that made him wonder if that Zim he once knew was too different and far too gone now. The Zim he knew disappeared years ago, and what came back was a secretive alien who had done something that he wished was with him.

 

He was worried. He didn't like this Zim. The years apart had changed him. No... They both changed. Dib sighed. He had to admit that even he had changed. His desire to save the Earth had faded away, after reality set in and he realized that these people weren't worth saving. He was no longer the savior of the planet, and he wasn't actively chasing every paranormal being he came across. Dib more likely settled on a normal life, keeping his love of the paranormal mute.

 

Then he met Avery.

 

At first Avery was like a match that re-awakened the fire that he left stagnant. A chance to relive his youth and remind him why he did what he did. He felt the drive that made him who he was. It was exciting. When everything escalated and he was pulled further into Avery's life, he had a better reason to get out of bed. His life became exciting again.

 

The only thing was, it made him feel like he was cheating on Zim. Though in a way, he was. He was replacing his first obsession with a new one. When the alien re-appeared into his life he felt conflicted... But now he felt lost. Zim was different; distant and mysterious. Avery was just angry, as he always was. His two obsessions collided together like a storm and between them he stood, feeling the destruction that was eventually leaving him exhausted.

 

With a sigh he pushed away from the console, giving up for now. "Usually it's so easy for me to hack into his defenses, but he seemed to re-program your whole laboratory and added even more firewalls."

 

"I can end this easily, you know this." Avery growled from the corner of the room. "Just let me rip his eyes out."

 

Dib only glared at him; the same answer that Avery met with every time he suggested.

 

Avery looked away from those amber eyes and banged his head against the wall he sat against.

 

"I'm getting tired of this, Dib. That alien is acting as if he owns this place and I'm sick and tired of you coming to his defense." Avery got up then, "This is my base of operations. This is MY home. That," He pointed at a bolted door, which thrummed when he pointed at it, "IS MY LAB."

 

The bolts had blasted from their sockets and ricochet off of the walls, the door falling with a resounding bang. Dib had to dive under the console to keep himself from being hit by one of the bolts. Avery took that chance to force himself into the lab, blood contract be damned.

 

Avery caught sight of Zim and immediately threw him across the room with the force of his own willpower, "I want you OUT!" He shouted.

 

"Avery!" Dib cried out, getting to the door in time to see the collision.

 

Zim was caught unaware of the entire incident. One moment he was standing at a computer and the next he was face first in the monitor. When he finally shoved himself off of the now sparking equipment he was thrown again, this time into the wall behind him.

 

"Avery stop it!" Dib's voice cried out, and Zim's eyes darted to see both Dib and Avery. His eyes narrowed at the sight.

 

Avery hissed at Dib when he uttered the words, glaring at him. "Damnit Dib, I--"

 

"What do you think you're doing?" Zim shouted, glaring at both of them. "Dib-stink, put a leash on that dog of yours!"

 

Before Dib could say a word Avery screamed, having enough. Dib felt a lurch in his body as he was pulled forward, Avery's powers fighting against the magic that bound them. He was practically thrown into Avery as the man ran at Zim. "AVERY!"

 

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Avery lashed out at Zim, fighting the restraining magic. Zim felt the sting of the hit and hissed, attacking Avery with his own claws. The two ended up in a tornado of combat, lashing out at each other with pure rage. Dib was helpless, unable to get a handle on Avery. He felt like his body was being flung by invisible strings, being manipulated by the one he was supposed to control. Was that the effects of the blood contract? He tried hard to get his control back, pulling back at the psychological restraints as hard as possible. When he finally was able to pull Avery back he wound up flinging the other against the wall. The whole ordeal left him exhausted and spent, and he wasn't even the one fighting.

 

Dib sat between them, all three of them panting and staring at each other with anger.

 

"Will you both just STOP!" Dib shouted, angry. Avery was sore, moving slightly against the wall he had smashed against. He and Zim were both bleeding and bruised. "I don't care if you two hate each other but we have to get along if we're going to live here. Zim, I know you lost your home base but please stop pretending this one is yours. Avery, stop trying to kill Zim!"

 

Zim sneered at Dib, "So the Dib has taken sides, I should have known that you would turn against me human stink beast." He looked seriously offended at the sight. "First you make a blood contract with that horrible thing and now you're being best buddies with it."

 

Dib could see the hurt in Zim's eyes and it stung him. "Zim, damnit... Shit happened before you came, okay? I didn't have a choice!"

 

"Don't spit out those lies to me!" Zim became enraged, "You had the choice to say no!"

 

At this point the entire argument was becoming confusing. Dib was shocked silent. Was Zim hurt because of his contract with Avery? Was this why he was so distant?

 

"What about you?" He asked then. "You made one with his sister!" Dib finally stood up. "Why are you so pissed off at me when you have her?"

 

Zim felt stunned, and he narrowed his eyes. "I have a reason to contract with that human. She is a part of my plans."

 

"Plans you never talk about!" Dib shouted, and at this point he was closer to Zim. "You were never so damn private. You've changed so much! Do you even know how long I've waited for you to come back?"

 

Zim spat at that, "You've been so loyal to wait that you've been playing around with another alien!"

 

Avery caught the word, and he finally pulled himself from the rubble. "Who...are you calling alien?"

 

Zim's attention switched over to Avery and he hissed, "Don't pretend that you have no idea of your origin, hybrid. And YOU! How dare you try to pass blame on me when you have no reason to establish a contract?" Zim was growling now. "You have nothing to gain, Dib. I'm the one who has nothing to lose!"

 

Dib frowned then, "What does that mean?"

 

The sudden slip of the tongue made him flinch, and Zim turned away. "Get out before I do something I'll regret."

 

The tone of Zim's voice was dangerously quiet. Dib took it seriously. He quickly took Avery's arm and dragged him out, surprisingly receiving little to no resistance. Everything Zim had said sent him into a stunned silence. Avery couldn't stop replaying the line in his head, not even realizing Dib had left an hour ago.

 

* * *

 

 

When Avery finally came back from deep inside himself he found that Dib had returned, watching him from the other end of the lab with a concerned look on his face. Of course, Dib was concerned about both of them, but it was Avery that had him worried.

 

Dib's head perked when Avery finally awakened from his almost catatonic state. Ever since the fight with Zim he hadn't moved an inch. Dib hated the fact that he was stuck between two people, worried for both. Realizing that Zim was jealous of Avery made Dib feel... Guilty.

 

But what did he mean by 'with another alien'? Gaz told them he was a demon.

 

His thoughts were interrupted when Avery got up, tearing into a drawer and pulling out a knife. Without even thinking he slashed it through his skin. Dib's eyes widened and he scrambled over, "Avery!"

 

Before Dib could go for the knife Avery shoved him back, hissing. "Stay out of my way, Dib." The action didn't seem to keep Dib away and Avery had to kick the man square in the gut, hissing as he glared down at him. When he was sure Dib was down for a moment he took a strong breath before cutting into his arm again, using the first cut to carve a generous chunk of flesh from his own arm. Finally letting out a scream of pain, he tore the rest of the flesh away from what kept it connected.

 

Dib was getting queasy looking at it but he couldn't look away, watching Avery take the piece of flesh to a part of his lab and working on cutting it into a perfect size for a petri dish. Dib finally got to his feet as soon as the pain to his abdomen subsided, struggling over to Avery and sighing, reaching for a paper towel roll to clean up the bloody arm. "What the hell are you doing now?"

 

Avery winced when Dib had touched his arm, but it didn't stop him from working, separating all the bits of flesh into different dishes. "Something that insect said is making me concerned." He yelped a little when Dib blotted at his exposed muscle tissue, slapping him away. "My arm will heal itself, stop that!"

 

The concern didn't leave when Avery attempted to force it to, and Dib tore Avery away from the counter to the first aid cabinet. "It may heal faster but it will also get infected quicker you dummy, now stay still." He forced Avery to sit down and got out the first aid kit, taking out a bottle of antiseptic. "It's going to really sting okay?"

 

"I know how antiseptic works you moron." Avery glared at him, though began screaming when Dib poured it on without warning.

 

"Oops." He smirked a little.

 

Avery hissed at him, taking a hold of Dib's hair lock with his free hand and tugging on it hard, "Oops." He countered, glaring at him with just the tiniest bit of a smirk that Dib was able to pick out.

 

The two stayed quiet for that moment while Dib went about cleaning and bandaging the wound. When he was done Avery got up to return to the counter. Dib didn't let go of his wrist, giving Avery a quiet concerned look when the other turned his head.

 

Avery watched him for a while and sighed, letting him hold on for a while longer. "Dib..."

 

"Stop." Dib stood up, "Avery, you always take things too far. If it's not your temper than it's your actions. Everything you do makes me worried and it's annoying! Do you ever think of the harm you put yourself though?"

 

"Nothing I do should concern you. It's none of your business."

 

"It is my business!" Dib shouted, tightening his grip. "You're my business! Ever since we became connected to each other by blood everything you do concerns me!" He tugged Avery closer. "Stop trying to isolate yourself because as long as I'm here it's never going to happen. It's no longer a one-person operation, Avery. It's two people now. You and me. I need to know everything!”

 

The words were true, all of it. No matter how much Avery wanted to ignore or deny them, what Dib was saying was completely true. Because of that connection, Dib was keeping his powers from overloading and eating him alive. It was also giving him insight on what the shit was feeling twenty-four seven. It was something he never wanted to think about, but now there wasn't any turning back. Dib was no longer just an annoying man who wanted to pry into his existence. He was now part of his existence.

 

Dib knew when Avery's defenses visibly broke down, and he let go of the wrist he held. When Avery silently beckoned him to follow he did.

 

The entire conversation was caught on surveillance, as a small spindly robotic spider skittered further down the wall to follow the two. Zim was on the other side of that streaming footage, watching the interaction with a newfound loathing.

 

"Two can play this game." He hissed.

 

* * *

 

 

The experiment was simple: taking the flesh that he had extracted and testing it for any abnormalities that would prove what Zim had said earlier. The twins had been living with the belief that they were advanced experiments, but were normally born human. Gaz had provided them with the information that they were not humans, but demons. But with what Zim had said, it was all now up for question.

 

Dib had accompanied Avery to the laboratory they were created in, and despite Avery's recognizable anxiety over being inside of the building they had collected every paper and computer that Dib had deemed worth salvaging.

 

It would have been much easier just to ask Zim about it, but the alien was being his usual stubborn self and refused to talk to either of them. Runa couldn't be a help either, as Zim had been keeping her away from both of them all of a sudden.

 

When they returned Dib set out on restoring whatever he could from the computers, as Avery worked on piecing together all the papers and restoring them as well. Unfortunately time had taken toll on everything they found, and Dib wasn't getting any luck with the fried systems.

 

"We're back to where we started." Dib sighed, while Avery screamed out in anger and tossed all the papers in the air. He slammed his fist against the console. "I hate everything!"

 

Dib sighed at Avery's outburst but he couldn't help but agree.

 

"If it's answers you want, then I can probably give them to you."

 

Avery flinched, turning to the main screen that flickered static in front of them. "You...how did you hack into this system?"

 

Zim's laugh filled the room. "As strong as it may be, your firewall is no match to my ingenious skills! Now you are wondering what you are, hybrid stink, Zim knows all too well. Your dear Runa-sibling knows but poor you, so out of the loop."

 

Dib could hear him grinning, even if he couldn't see his face. "Just tell us Zim."

 

"Only if you agree to something, Diblet." The screen flickered then, showing Zim sitting casually. "I need more assistance to what I'm planning and the hybrid set is what I need to complete it. Avery agrees to help me, then he will finally know what he is."

 

The aforementioned hybrid was livid. "You want.... Who do you THINK YOU'RE DEALING WITH?"

 

Dib attacked him at once, tackling Avery and clasping a hand over Avery's mouth. "Yeah we'll do it. Unlock the door and let us in!"

 

When the transmission cut Avery was finally able to shove Dib off of him, hissing at the man. "What do you think you're doing? Avery Lycroft bows to no one!"

 

"Avery Lycroft is driving me nuts." Dib returned, taking his arm. "Now I want to know what Zim's doing and you want to know what you are. This is the perfect chance of us getting what we want."

 

Avery hated Dib for being right again, and only glared weakly at him in return. Without another word he went over to the bolted door and kicked it down, glaring at the grinning alien at the other side.

 

"Let's start by forming a contract shall we?"

 

Avery froze at the familiar word and glared at him, "Oh no, I am NOT doing that again! I'm already contracted anyway so you can't even--"

 

"Your kind can be contracted to more than one being." Zim interrupted him, grinning. "For what I need you will have to be under my control." He advanced on him, taking a hold of Avery's wrist. The other shoved him back with a hiss.

 

"The last thing I will want is to be under your control. Don't play me for a fool alien, I know what Runa looks like now. Whatever you're doing with her, you are not getting with me."

 

The way Avery was resisting Zim only amused him, and he enjoyed it. He looked over at Dib, conveying his need with a single look. It worked just as he thought, and Dib gave in.

 

"Avery, just do it. I'll make sure Zim doesn't do anything weird with you."

 

A crooked grin formed on Zim's face and he purred, "Yesss. Runa-pet, come!" He called, glancing back to see Avery's sister appear from the shadows, looking quite bothered but moving to stand next to him. "You know what to do." He directed, and Runa nodded, moving over to Avery and holding him in an arm lock.

 

"For my safety of course." Zim explained, chuckling. He enjoyed how enraged Avery looked while he grabbed for one of his arms. "Dib-smeet, you're the witness."

 

Dib was feeling quite uneasy about this, seeing Runa restrain her own brother and how out of it she looked concerned him. She looked as if she was on drugs, her eyes blank and soulless. Though despite the logical voice screaming at him to do the opposite, he wasn't going to get in the way.

 

Avery was weary when one of those fucking spider-legs appeared out of Zim’s pak. The sharpness of the tip tracing an unknown symbol ever so slowly on Avery’s hand. It was the same shape of the scar that was on Runa’s hand. “Where the fuck are the candles and the weird Latin?” He suddenly asked.

 

“La-teen?” Zim questioned, “The blood contract needs no silly things. Your species makes a contract simply by exchanging blood with another.”

 

Dib opened his mouth then shut it, remembering the entire scene with Gaz. Was that for show? “Wait--my sister did this whole thing with candles and a pentagram and then splashed some sort of liquid on the floor.”

 

Avery groaned, shifting in Runa’s grip. “I’m going to pretend it never--wait--if it just exchanging blood, then why the fucking symbol?” Avery’s voice suddenly raised, glaring at Zim hotly.

 

Zim smirked, “Branding.”

 

Avery bared his teeth, the alien was grinning back at him so suspiciously. He knew there was something behind this. He knew that Zim wasn't to be trusted, but he also knew that the damn alien had the upper hand.

 

When the symbol was deeply etched into Avery Zim took that moment to cut his own hand, a simple slice across his palm that he slapped over the brand.

 

There was a strong pull in both of them as the blood began to bind them together. Even Dib could feel it, and he groaned. Avery's power began to fluctuate and he hissed, glaring at Zim and trying to pull his hand away. Zim grinned wickedly at that and pulled him forward, grinning close to his face. "You're a Meekrob, the most powerful race that The Empire had wiped out ages ago. You may have a human body but your genetics are almost fully alien." His grin was dark, stunning Avery into silence. "Now that you're under my control I will use the both of you in my conquest to destroy that very Empire."

 

Dib became pale in shock, "Th--that's your plan? You want to destroy your leaders? But you're so damn loyal to them!"

 

Zim's eye twitched, hearing the snicker of his smaller facade in the corner. "They are nothing but LIARS AND FOOLS." His grip on Avery's hand tightened dangerously, causing the other to fall to his knees in pain. "THEY WILL RUE THE DAY--" When Avery elbowed him in the gut to get free, his train of thought was interrupted. Avery yanked his hand away then and grimaced. His fingers were broken.

 

Dib sighed, sitting down on a nearby chair. "So all this secrecy was for your damn Tallests? You could have told me."

 

Zim watched Dib wearily, "My vengeance with the Empire was none of your concern, Dib-worm, especially when you have gave your alliance with that hybrid."

 

"Bullshit it has nothing to do with me!" Dib shot back up, moving over to him. "Your whole fucking mission to 'take over earth' was a lie! Most of my life was spent stopping you from taking over this planet and you say it has nothing to do with me? You became my life Zim! You were everything I lived for from dawn to dusk." He took a hold of Zim's shirt, shaking him slightly. "My father, my sister, my schoolmates, everyone ignored me but you. Now you say this has nothing to do with me? I waited for you to come back ever since you left, Zim." He looked hurt. "Did you even think of me?"

 

Zim stared at Dib, his eyes boring into the others with deep concentration, as if trying to tell if the human was being genuinely honest.

 

 _‘Your faithful human, poor poor Diblet, waiting for you as your world came crashing down.’_ The other Zim teased. _‘Out of everyone that betrayed you the Dib was on Earth, like a faithful pet.’_

 

Zim's expression softened.

 

_‘A pet that found another master, once that hybrid came into his life. You saw it with your own eyes, how he worries over that alien. He has betrayed you just like the rest, tossing you aside for something better.’_

 

The expression became hard again and Zim forcefully shoved Dib back, wincing at the cackle the visage made from behind him.

 

"If you cared then why do you fawn over that hybrid?" He hissed, narrowing his eyes and pointing accusingly at the one in question. "If you missed me then you wouldn't have replaced your almighty Zim with another alien! Dib is such a loyal dog until someone else gives him the attention he desired!" He was screaming now, moving to pull Runa away and over to him. "Well fine, I have my own dog as well, and she is far more useful than YOU will ever be!" He grabbed her by the shirt to kiss her hard, catching everyone off-guard. Dib and Avery stared in shock at the sudden display of possessiveness that Zim initiated. So much that it made Runa fall to her knees, her legs buckling from the intensity.

 

Dib knew it was done on purpose to make him jealous, and it was working. Jealous and quite bothered. Something about the Irken's behavior was disconcerting. Though as bothered Dib was about this display, Avery was almost livid. He could feel Avery's power sparking in an unsettling storm that he couldn't release. He hated to leave but for Avery's sake he had to, moving to the other and grabbing his arm to drag Avery out of the room.

 

When Avery was out of range he let his rage loose on some machines on the other room, smashing them against walls as he screamed out every last bit of anger inside of him. Dib stayed behind him, watching with increasing concern for Avery's rage, staring at the back of Avery's head and wanting to just touch him, to drag him into an embrace that would stop everything. It was then when Dib backed away, holding his head in distress. Zim had been right...

 

_‘You replaced Zim with Avery.’_

 

Dib looked behind him, seeing a younger version of himself sitting on a table casually.

 

That distressed him even further.


	9. Submit

Domino wasn’t Tallest material. It was obvious ever since he joined the academy. The reason he joined in the first place was to hone the skills needed for battle. His loyalty had never been tied to The Empire, not since he was a smeet; but that was another story altogether.

 

Red knew everything about Domino even before he had been placed in his class. He was a quiet, isolated Irken that never spoke to anyone, and was pretty secretive. Of course the blood-eyed Irken would take a curious liking to him, especially when he started showing signs of height. When Domino was moved to the royal hall, where all Tallest-elect would live, Red made it his mission to have him. Purple joined in on the fun as well, though not as passionately as his counterpart.

 

Domino, however, was someone who could sense danger a galaxy away, and did his best to elude the two Irkens. It would only last until Red had discovered his secret. He and Purple had snuck into his rooms, discovering the most dangerous thing an Irken can possess.

 

Empire rule states that any Irken found with traitorous paraphernalia would be executed without mercy.

 

Red found it to be a present sent from the universe, and used it on Domino. He immediately crumbled and gave in. That was when the fun started…

 

Before Red could reflect on that fun a fist slammed into his face. “Wake up you spoiled little prince.”

 

Domino was irritated, tugging at his gold and violet robes with annoyance. “Where did my clothes go?” He glowered at the Tallest sitting in front of him, who rubbed his jaw while grinning.

 

“My dear Dom, a Tallest doesn’t wear vagabond rags. They reeked with the scent of whores. A Tallest isn’t a whore…unless it’s you.” He said the last part in a whisper, a dark look taking on his features. “You won’t need them anyhow,” He stood up, sauntering over to him and cupping his chin with a bent finger. “You’re not leaving my side.”

 

Domino narrowed his eyes and pushed himself away, knowing he had no other choice. “This is part of it, huh? A public humiliation to announce to everyone that you’ve captured me? Or are you honestly thinking of making me second-in-command?”

 

Red enjoyed both options. Ever since Domino fled the Empire he was placed right on top of the wanted list, mostly because he had the rivaling height. Being a traitor he was the most dangerous being to threaten everything they worked for. They both knew that with Domino back into enemy territory, he could be executed with one word. Red wanted more than that, of course. Domino was too important to kill off, especially since he belonged to him.

 

“Both.” The Tallest smirked in reply, sitting back down. “You should prepare yourself also. While we get our third finger cut off in private, I’ve arranged for you to have your ‘coronation’ televised around the universe. Everyone will be a witness to you submitting to the Empire.”

 

Upon hearing this, the rage that bubbled inside the violet eyed Irken was beginning to reach its breaking point. Domino instinctively went for his blades, which he thought well to hide. Before he could attack though a click was heard right next to his antennae. A mechanical arm had lowered from the ceiling, holding a laser pistol.

 

Red looked amused, “I have eyes everywhere, I suggest you remember that.” He stretched his two fingers at him, taunting Domino.

 

“My Tallests.” The door opened then to reveal a lavender eyed adviser holding a satin robe for Red. “The coronation will start soon, Tallest Red you must prepare and Tallest Domino, please, put away your weapons before you nick the fabric.” He didn’t look all that shocked from the scene he was watching.

 

Red stood up and made his way to a three-way mirror, getting into position. Domino muttered something unintelligible and put his knives away. He had no choice, did he? Either submit or die, and he had no reason to pick death. No, he still had a way out.

 

Hopefully that way out was on its way in.

 

* * *

 

 

Avery’s fingers had healed by the time he had calmed down. He looked at the lingering bruises, the Irken’s voice replaying in his head over and over again. Meekrob. What was a Meekrob? Was it really the most powerful race? Either way he felt like his world crumbled from underneath him. Ever since that moment he isolated himself. The last thing he wanted to do was see anyone—Dib was on top of that list. He knew the man was worried, hell, it practically bled from the other side of the wall, where he knew the man had settled himself. Every now and then he’d leave, but he was always back. Sometimes it wasn’t good to know more than any human should.

 

No wait, he wasn’t human.

 

Not human, his whole life, his and his sister’s lives, were all a lie. One gigantic farce that explained His intentions.

 

He… he knew. He knew and He wanted to use that for his own damn plans.

 

Avery shuddered, the new light on his horrible past chilling him to the bone. If He knew, then…

 

* * *

 

Dib could read Avery so well it was almost scary. He knew the other male was brooding to the point that he could practically feel it. But then who wouldn’t in such a situation? He wasn’t a human.

 

He let out a sarcastic laugh to that. Of course he would be attracted to an alien. Not emotionally, but magnetically. He wondered what his father would say, if he knew one of his best scientists was an alien. Of course he wouldn’t believe it. Or perhaps Membrane did and just pretended. His whole family was smarter than the entire world, and if his father didn’t take notice of Avery’s ‘eccentricities’ then he was horribly in the dark.

 

 _‘Isn’t this what you wanted?’_ A voice called out to him, _‘Your dream is finally coming true, your whole world is immersed in the paranormal.’_

 

That image again. He couldn’t really question why he was seeing his younger visage lately, or why he could hold a conversation with it. With himself.

 

_‘First Zim and now Avery, you’re the luckiest guy! You have two aliens to yourself.’_

 

He glared at the smaller Dib, refusing to answer that. He seemed to be quite aware of the fact he was seeing these illusions and refused to feed into them, whatever they were trying to do.

 

The younger Dib was aware of that and pressed on, moving over to sit next to him. _‘I guess Zim doesn’t want you anymore though. Avery is all you have now. Why not take advantage of that? A real Meekrob! Not the illusion that Zim put us through, imagine what you can discover!’_

 

Dib grew agitated and rose his hand to shove the younger visage away, but the door slammed open. He yelped and stumbled to his feet and once he looked back to where the younger one was, it was gone.

 

“Avery?”

 

“We’re going to the lab.” He said suddenly, grabbing Dib’s arm roughly and pulling the shocked man along with him. He did his best to keep up with Avery’s determined stride, staring at the hand on his wrist with wide eyes. This was the first Avery even considered letting him tag along.

 

Avery didn’t want to go alone, but he wasn’t about to tell Dib that. He had his pride, after all. He was going to go somewhere he despised. Everything that happened there, every memory of that place… Just the thought of what he was going to do caused him to tighten his grip on Dib, a silent plea of help.

 

Dib was still reeling from the sudden decision, following the other to the ship that they broke their backs working on earlier. It was finally going to be put to use.

 

* * *

 

 

Zim lazily tugged at Runa’s hair as he watched the multiple video feeds of the Massive, his antennae quirked at the Irken who replaced Purple with a quiet curiosity. It took him at least fifty hours to hack into their cameras, and with the alien man’s equipment he was able to do better than he thought. He couldn’t call this inferior human technology anymore, as the person who had created it was far from inferior.

 

The Avery was as intelligent as he was dangerous, just like the Runa that he had ultimately subdued. He had tremendous power, power that seemed to have attracted the Dib. His Dib. The Avery had stolen away his Dib. In retaliation to that, Zim figured that stealing the Runa away from The Avery was a good way to even the score.

 

Said human was still unconscious from their last ‘battle’. He had been leaving quite a few scars on her lately, scars that made him grin wickedly in pride. He enjoyed this alien. Battles were like games that made her oh-so smeet-like in nature, unafraid of the gore and bloodshed that accompanied. When the battles were over she was dazed. Pliable to only his will. She was the perfect pet.

 

He looked at the sleeping form and chuckled to himself. He always wanted a human slave, but this one was even better. When it was time to act on his plans he believed she would play her part perfectly. Though, for her brother, he was an anomaly. Unpredictable, uncontrollable, and uncooperative. He may have contracted with the damned alien but it would take a lot to get him under control. Perhaps to get him under control was to get The Dib to comply. Though… the thought of Dib-stink with that hybrid garbage made his blood boil. The human was practically infatuated with him!

 

“I loathe that alien…” Zim muttered to himself.

 

 _‘The Dib loves that alien.’_ The other, much smaller Zim, taunted, grinning from cheek to cheek.

 

Zim hissed at his visage, narrowing his eyes. “A traitor, he will know not to mess with Zim. Once I take care of the Tallests that Avery will die by my hand.” He gripped Runa’s hair, causing her to make a sound. He didn’t really care at the moment, needing to cause someone pain.

 

When the walls began to shake his attention was snapped away from his thoughts, and he brought up the home feeds. Dib was being dragged into that Hybrid’s ship, and the look on his excited face made Zim growl and slam his hands on the console. “Computer, track that ship’s location.”

 

The coordinates flashed before him, and Zim sat back with a quirked antennae. “Again with that place…” He looked at Runa, remembering the run down old laboratory that he found her at.

 

“Runa-pet.” He shook her with a hand, jarring her awake. “Zim wants to know what this place means to you and that brother of yours. Computer, bring up the coordinates on a map.”

 

Runa was awoken by a hand shaking her, hearing the Irken’s metallic tone speak to her. With a yawn she rubbed her eye and tried to wake up. When Zim had repeated himself, she finally realized what he meant. Looking at the map made her feel cold inside and her eye darkened.

 

“That’s where we were created.”

 

* * *

 

 

The Great Fingering was televised throughout every corner of the universe, and the universes beyond it. Aliens who had a connection to the feed were presented with the coronation that involved Tallest Red and the new Tallest Domino, the control brains being witness to the event. To those who knew Domino and his standing, it was the utmost sign of betrayal to everything he fought for. To submit yourself and willingly become a puppet to the Empire was almost akin to treason to those against what the Empire stood for.

 

Though, for the few that really knew him, it was a ploy. Domino was committing the largest sacrifice to the cause. He was now a man on the inside. He was now able to do more as a Tallest than a club owner. Everyone knew the person behind the name Domino was a mafia boss, a powerful figure with as much money as he had men. Domino was a juggernaut, someone who could decide the fate of anyone who had crossed him with a single word. No one but a select few knew the real Domino; the biggest and most loyal financial backer of the Resistance. How else would they afford to fight for their freedoms? His finances were detrimental to their survival and information gathering.

 

Those who had known the real Domino were watching the monitors with bated breath and folded hands, looking away when Domino’s finger was removed ceremoniously.

 

“That is savage, I don’t care what deeper meaning it has.” An Irken spoke, clad in a black jacket over a tattered uniform. “I can’t believe Dom is really going through with this thing.”

 

“Whispers around the Massive is that Domino was forced into it.” Another alien spoke up. “We have audio feed of the adviser’s chambers.”

 

A Vortian looked unnerved, wringing a piece of yellow fabric in his hands and eventually he snapped, “WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!” He screamed aloud, running towards a double row of tents and hiding in one of them. The Irken beside him slapped his hand over his face, groaning.

 

“Lard-Nar…”

 

“Dios, you’re his second. Do something!” Another alien squeaked out, looking a little annoyed and exhausted. “Ever since Operation Viral was a success he’s been paranoid as an –overly paranoid thing. We can’t be the Resisty without a capable leader.”

 

Dios sighed and straightened up, looking back towards the tents. “Sometimes I hate being his second.” He said to himself, moving away from the group of aliens to where Lard-Nar had fled to.

 

Said Vortian was curled up in a fetal position on a cot, hugging the fabric tight. It was a piece of fabric from his planet’s couch, which was discovered early on to be something that all Vortians needed to stay sane; like a soothing blanket to a baby.

 

The Irken leaned against the tent pole, watching his partner and rubbing his temples. “The plan worked perfectly, Nar. The virus took out most of the Empire and those with the antivirus were spared. Look man, I’m alive and talking. It worked!” It was a painful process, but he was able to survive the horrible genocide, which to those with the antivirus installed affected them as if it was a common cold. “We took down a Tallest! This is far from stealing snacks.”

 

“It’s too much!” Lard-Nar sat up and stared at him with wide eyes, “This plan was too much. You used your own brother for Vort’s sake! What if they find out that it wasn’t Zim that did the deed?” He looked worried, and it was a just cause. Ever since the plan was implemented he felt like something much more horrid was going to happen.

 

Dios was the one who had the idea, after a feint comment an alien said about computer viruses. It snapped together and with a few years an idea came out that was perfect. He made sure to take care of every hole in the plan, every ‘what if’ situation. He spent sleepless rotations carefully planning each step. When the plan finally initiated of course he was nervous, but it went about the way he wanted it to. Most of the Empire was wiped out, and the Armada was left weak and defenseless. Sure he pissed off the wrong Tallest to all hell, but it was expected. He was just thankful that they knew the perfect fall guy. It would have been super logical to the Tallest that Zim would be behind this. As stupid as the Irken was, he was also one of the top geniuses of his generation. It made for a dangerous concoction. The motive was clearly there, whether the Irken knew it or not. It was just a tale of revenge, a poor Invader’s answer to discovering that he was just a fool in his own Empire’s eyes.

 

“Zim is Zim. They won’t second guess that the idiot was the one behind it. We had the feed of their last recording!” Dios reassured him, moving to sit next to Lard-Nar. “Hey, Khan did us the best favor and he’s still alive. No one will figure out it was him. I love my brother too much to take such a risk without thinking it through.” He grinned then, “Now their assassins are following a voot on autopilot and my little bro is safe with Adon on Retristè. Even if Domino is currently on the massive he promised to take care of us. Everything is fine, trust me.”

 

Trust the very Irken that had his own freak-outs and had a habit of setting things on fire. Lard-Nar wasn’t stupid, and he knew his own partner cunning as he may be, was also more smooth than the armor on the Tallests. He stared at Dios looking for a hint of doubt, only to find an aura of complete confidence. “You’re so full of it I’m amazed you’re not working in the black market.”

 

Dios watched the Vortian get up and leave, unable to keep himself from smiling. “You’ll see, Nar, everything will turn out in our favor.”


	10. Bounty

Red eyed his new co-Tallest’s un-gloved hand with a smug grin, watching as the medics were patching his new wound up. Domino was part of the Empire now, and there was no way he could go back. Now Red had the help he needed in the Empire’s new repopulation mission. He would make sure that something like this wouldn’t happen again, no matter how many years it would take. As for Zim, he had the most horrendous execution in plan for the Irken. All he had to do was wait as his assassins tracked him down.

 

“Remi, tell me if you have any word on Kyo and Rhas.” Red commanded, glancing to an adviser next to him.

 

The female looked down at her PAK and took out a holographic clipboard, turning it on and reading the feeds. “Yes My Tallest. They’re tracking him towards the Milky Way galaxy.”

 

Domino watched the exchange carefully, frowning. So they did think it was Zim…

 

“Back to that sinkhole of a planet we sent him to… I should have guessed.” Red got up and shooed away the medics. “Domino, we have plans. Come with me.”

 

Domino stood up and moved to snap his gauntlets on, wincing when it brushed over the still-raw wounds. “So much for avoiding this…” He sighed to himself.

 

* * *

 

 

The ship had landed inside the factory yard, Avery not waiting a second longer until he jumped out of the door and ran towards an entrance. He knew the laboratory inside and out, and he knew where exactly he was supposed to go. Dib cried out from behind, falling face first on the ground before crawling to his feet and stumbling after him. “Avery!” He shouted, following him through the rubble and through narrow spaces. Avery finally stopped when they had reached a hallway that was caved in.

 

“The basement… Dib, don’t hold me back.” He snapped, grasping the sides of his head and shutting his eyes.

 

Dib was shaking, looking around frantically when he realized the whole building was moving. “A-avery we’ll be crushed!” He shouted, instinctively grasping onto him.

 

The touch didn’t break his focus, forcing the rubble to break apart and allow a crack. A cry was heard, but Avery caught it, throwing a falling piece of concrete out of their range. “Make this quick before they settle.” He grasped Dib’s wrist again and led him through the narrow crack, both of them having to struggle slightly before they ended up on the other side.

 

It was dark, in fact Dib had wondered how long it was since the entire area had seen any source of light. He pulled out his cellphone and turned it on, allowing the screen to be their flashlight. “How much air would we have down here?” He asked quietly.

 

“We don’t need air, we need the files.” Avery, too focused on what he wanted at the moment snatched the phone away and led him down the steps to another hallway with rows of rooms, having been untouched by the explosion that destroyed it all. Avery knew each and every room, so much that it made him shudder. Dib noticed it and tentatively reached to touch his shoulder, having his own memories of rooms and what they inflicted on him.

 

Avery didn’t say anything when he felt the hand on him, leading them to the room at the end of the hallway. Hesitantly he reached out, his hand hovering over the door knob for one moment before he reached forward and opened it.

 

There was a cave-in.

 

At least, that’s what they both assumed, when the sound of falling concrete made them both leap into the room.

 

“DIB!”

 

The all-too familiar voice broke him out of his panic, the light becoming more prominent when a beam of light evaporated the fallen rock from the stairwell. Out from the opening a figure moved like a shot and bashed themselves into a piece of collapsing ceiling. Dib opened his eyes as the figure landed in front of him and Avery, the shine of the weapon in her hand revealing it to be Runa. “R—Runa?”

 

“Dib-stink! You think you can flee to this trash heap with that alien filth without me knowing?” Zim marched down the steps, his spider legs retracting back into his PAK. “It’s a good thing my pet knows what that brother of hers is thinking, or else we wouldn’t have caught up.”

 

“Avery…” Runa frowned, realizing what this place was. “I was trying to hide this.”

 

The sibling in question ignored her and sat up, glaring. “I have to know. I have to know what that bastard wanted to do! If we weren’t William Lycroft’s children then who the hell do we call father?”

 

Dib could hear Avery’s voice breaking as he spoke, looking at Zim and frowning before getting up to follow Avery into the room.

 

“William Lycroft is our father, Avery it doesn’t change anything. Zachariah…he’s the one—”

 

“I don’t want them to know anything else!” Avery snapped, the floor shaking. He narrowed his eyes at both Zim and Dib behind them, “It’s not their business, it’s ours and ours alone.”

 

“Too late, Avery-trash.” Zim growled, moving up to take Runa by the arm. “I already know everything. Your sister is more loyal to the great Zim than to her own blood.”

 

The alien’s words made Avery’s glare move to Runa, in which the woman looked away in shame. “I can’t lie to him, Avery… He’s my contractor! I tried to keep it secret but—”

 

“But nothing.” Avery stated darkly, turning to the wall of file cabinets at the opposite end of the room.

 

Zim found Avery’s reaction amusing, stepping closer and grinning from cheek to cheek. “It’s amazing to discover that you were once an experiment bent on human desecration. I mean, the human race is completely tainted in stupidity but this one Zachariah Genesis had the idea to eradicate the race by using two of its own? I wish I was able to meet the human so I can pick his brain.”

 

“That’s not just it.” Avery shouted. “That man killed our father, stole him away from us! We were infants! Then he went and started loading us with countless chemicals that fucked with our brains. He had a sick goal and used us to get to it. I was just the lucky one who killed him in the end.”

 

There was a silence that followed Avery’s words that made Runa and Dib shiver. They stepped away from the two, already knowing the rage Avery held. Slowly, he turned to face Zim, his right eye twitching. He reached out to grab the Irken by the collar and pulled him close so suddenly. The grinning alien was face to face with the angry hybrid, not at all scared.

 

“You are stepping into something that will tear you apart like it did me.” He whispered, the look on his face smoldering. “I mean that too, I will tear you apart. I will reach inside that scrawny green body of yours and use my hands to tear you inside and out. I will grab your organs and extract them. I will strangle you with those organs and laugh as you bleed to death. When it’s over I will tear out your eyes and mount them on my wall.”

 

When Avery was done there was an applause. All eight eyes trailed over to a doorway where two heavily armed Irkens were grinning happily.

 

Only then Zim looked quite scared.

 

“That sounds absolutely fantastic.” The female purred, her lime colored eyes glinting mischievously, “Though My Tallest has a better idea for the traitor.”

 

“Runa, defense mode!” Zim shouted out at once.

 

“Who the hell are they?”

 

“RUNA!” Zim practically screamed, scrambling to hide behind Avery.

 

It was like a switch, and Runa was on one of the Irkens immediately with her sword to his throat. She was pushed back immediately.

 

“They’re all in on it!” The male shouted, caught off-guard, “Fire!”

 

“RUN!” Zim practically stabbed Avery with his spider appendage, forcing the other forward while Dib scrambled out of the way of the laser shots and ran as fast as he could up the stairway. Avery was practically dragged by Zim, but a hook was launched forward, embedding itself into Avery’s leg. The Hybrid screamed out and fell to the floor.

 

“AVERY!” Runa cried out while battling the other Irken, and as much as Zim wanted to leave Avery laying there on the floor his mostly absent conscience got the better of him and he launched himself for Avery.

 

The woman only laughed, taking out another gun and firing out an electrical wave. When Zim took a hold of Avery the electric current hit him in the PAK, causing the alien to scream and collapse over the other male.

 

Runa growled out and advanced on the male, looking almost livid she charged at him, only to be shot back by the male Irken’s gun.

 

Dib was too late, having doubled back when he realized that no one was behind him, only to witness the two Irkens grab both Avery and Zim and teleport out of the area. “Z—Zim—Avery!” He ran at them, throwing himself just as their images disappeared from sight. He fell to the floor hard, coughing and stumbling to his knees. Runa was unconscious in the corner.

 

“What the hell just happened?” Dib cursed to himself, crawling over to Runa to check her pulse. “Damnit…” He looked down to the open wound on her side, wincing. At least she was alive. “Where did they go?”

 

* * *

 

 

“Where…” Avery only remembered two things, a piercing agony and a blinding light. The next thing he knew he was inside an empty tube. Glancing next to him he saw Zim, slumped over unconscious in a tube of his own. Avery winced, looking down and finding that his leg was still bleeding. He leaned onto his good one for now, “H-…hey!” He called out, pounding on the glass. “Hey! What the hell is going on here—“

 

Before he could end his sentence both tubes whirred, a green liquid filling up the spaces like a flood, engulfing both of them until they were floating weightlessly inside of it. Avery coughed at first, trying to breathe until a tube had extended down from the top of his container, waving in front of him teasingly. He took it immediately and breathed into it. The air was stale and recycled but he wasn’t going to complain.

 

Avery looked over to the other tube, seeing that Zim hadn’t roused from the sudden flood. It looked like he was able to breathe in the fluid… no, why would he care anyway? Avery touched the glass again, scanning the area outside of it. From the looks of the glass they were in space. He cursed that. There was no way in hell he could get out without potentially suffocating himself. Avery tried to think of another way, taking another breath and making a fist in attempt to break the glass.

 

An Irken made her way into Avery’s view, folding her arms and laughing to herself. “Unbreakable Irken technology, human. You’ll sooner shatter your hand than escape.”

 

Avery narrowed his eyes at her,

 

_‘Why am I here?’_

 

The Irken’s eyes widened in shock, staring at Avery and glancing around. “Did you—“

 

_‘Telepathy you idiot, why am I here?’_

 

Her antennae twitched at the insult and she turned back to him, “Not many species can do what you do…this looks like a good haul. The Traitor Zim and an advanced species in one day. That will earn us some snacks.”

 

Avery kicked the glass with his good foot, _‘I don’t give a damn about what you’re saying. Tell me why I am here? Who are you? I demand answers.’_

 

The Irken only chuckled, “Ah…excuse me.” She bowed mockingly. “My name is Rhas, I’m an Elite Assassin with the Irken Empire. You’re here under the assumption that you are working with the Traitor. Although, for your sake you better not be… our Tallest has been wanting to spill more than just a small amount of blood.” She left him alone after that, laughing a little gleefully at the thought of bloodshed.

 

Avery looked at Zim again and thought about his situation. It was a good chance to opt out of whatever they were planning for him and happily watch the asshole go up in proverbial flames. If it wasn’t for Zim, his sister wouldn’t be the way she is. His past would have stayed the same. He’d have his laboratory and most of all,

 

_‘Dib wouldn’t be bothering you.’_

 

The voice came from outside the tube, showing an exact image of himself observing the electronics. _‘If Zim wasn’t in your hide that Dib wouldn’t have looked to you as an obsession. But you liked that, did you? You enjoyed someone so concerned with you that they put their own self aside.’_ The visage laughed lightly. _‘Poor poor mistreated Avery, finally getting something he wanted… and if you play your cards right, that alien will die and Dib will never speak to you again.’_

 

Avery’s eyes fell at the thought and he sighed, leaning against the glass and glancing at the floating body in the other tube. _‘He’d loathe me.’_

 

 _‘But isn’t it what you want?’_ Avery’s image smirked, _‘You want that solace. You want to remain alone where it’s safe and no one can touch you. Dib is only a thorn in your side, that alien is a horrible nuisance.’_

 

Avery continued to stare at Zim, trying to make up his mind. He hated this. He hated having to hold that gun again. He hated having to choose whether or not to pull the trigger.

 

Eventually Avery decided to not decide, letting himself go limp in the tube and leaning his head on the glass. There was nothing he could do. He didn’t want to choose. He didn’t want to play God again.

 

Hours seemed to pass between his momentary surrender, and along the way he had fallen asleep. Eventually some loud shrieking brought him back to reality.

 

“AVERY!”

 

The voice was cracking between screams.

 

“AVERY!”

 

He rose his head slowly.

 

“SHUT HIM UP!” Kyo growled, hitting his glass tube. “The little shit has been screaming for an HOUR!”

 

“AVERY!”

 

“What the hell is an Avery? Someone just give him an Avery!” Rhas was tugging her antennae in frustration.

 

“I’m Avery…” The rudely awoken male grumbled in irritation, glaring at the still-screaming Zim.

 

Rhas slammed her fist on a button and the containers emptied out all of their green liquid, draining into a grated floor around it. Without a word she took a pipe to his tube and shattered it open, dragging Avery out and cramming him in the tube with Zim. “THERE! Have your Avery and shut up before I shoot your head off!”

 

“Is it good to put them in the same tube?” Kyo asked, frowning.

 

“I don’t care, just if it shuts the idiot up!” The female shouted, going back into the cockpit.

 

Kyo stared at the shattered tube and sighed, pressing a button on the wall that replaced the glass and leaving.

 

“AV—“ The Irken’s screaming was cut short when the male was thrown on top of him, Avery making a move to hit the Irken straight in the face before settling into the other side of the cramped spot. “Hey!”

 

“I was doing perfectly fine in my own fucking tube!” Avery shouted back, and soon he was punched so hard the back of his head hit the glass. “You sonofa—”

 

Kyo peeked back to the holding cell and laughed, “Yo Rhas you did something nice, those two are going at it.”

 

“Good, I hope the thing kills him before we do.”

 

* * *

 

 

An Irken raced through the hallways, pushing himself through the gathered crowds and making his way to the lunchroom. At the very back of the room he could see a very hungry Red and a bemused Domino sitting in their VIP seating, a bunch of snacks in front of them. “My Tallests!” He cried out as he skidded to a stop before the table.

 

Domino was the first to rouse from his own thoughts, quirking an antennae before jabbing Red in the gut to get his attention. The smaller Irken didn’t catch the two exchanging loathing glares at each other before Red stood up. “What is it?”

 

“The Elysia made its capture. They’re on their way back and along with Zim they caught a human with telepathy abilities.”

 

Domino’s interest was piqued but he didn’t show it.

 

The word ‘telepathy’ rang a bell in Red’s head and he made it quite obvious that he was interested. “That’s a rare trait for species these days… Did they say that human was a partner of his?”

 

The Irken shook a little. He was nervous, and of course one would be when Red leaned over him looking like he could devour him any moment. “Uh—they—they don’t know yet sir. They want you to—as—as—assess—the human for yo—yourself.”

 

The gears in Red’s mind were turning. A creature with Telepathy was pretty much rare, especially since they took the initiative to erase those with such an ability from the universe. He regretted that, wiping the more advanced species off the map so they could rise above them—only to be almost wiped out completely. He had an idea for this human. And if it had anything else ‘special’ about it then he was going to keep it.

 

Domino noticed Red’s calculating expression and how it was scaring the little Irken. He sighed and got up to pat the Irken’s head. “Good job, okay? Shoo before my colleague looks any creepier.”

 

The Irken looked quite shocked that he was touched that way and beamed, nodding and running off.

 

Domino chuckled a little and Red turned to glare at him. “A Tallest doesn’t touch lessers like that, are you trying to make us look less menacing?”

 

He shrugged, “What is so wrong with a little positive reinforcement? Just because they’re smaller doesn’t mean they’re not just as hard working.”

 

Red looked angry at that and grabbed the other’s arm, showing him his own hand. “THIS means that you’re better than the rest of them. Don’t forget that you’re on my turf Domino, and what I say goes. Your beliefs aren’t valid anymore.” He hissed, pulling him closer. “You are a Tallest now, and you belong to me.”

 

Domino didn’t cower at the words, but rather he matched glare for glare. “If you think you can control me then you must be dumber than you look. We’re not in the academy anymore, Red. You are not my master and I have quit being your slave.”

 

Their words were an octave below a whisper, fully aware of the other people in the room. It didn’t stop them from trying to win the battle for dominance. Finally, Red yanked on Domino’s arm hard, leading the second Tallest to the nearest broom closet where they began to punch and bite each other. Thankfully it was big enough for a battle.

 

“That mark on your neck means you’re still mine Domino!” Red punched him in the abdomen, but reeled back when Domino went for his face.

 

“What makes you think that treating me like garbage for half my life would ever make me submit to you? I am not your—AH!”

 

A harsh bite to his antennae caused him to collapse to the floor. It was a pain that wasn’t like any other, as well as a cheap shot. Red took that moment to grab him by the throat, squeezing down. “Fighting back is only going to make it worse for you.”

 

Domino was losing consciousness, clawing at Red’s hand desperately. When it released his color flooded back into his face and he gasped out for breath.

 

Red only grinned wickedly. “I can do what I want to you, just like the old days.”

 

“We aren’t—in the academy. Purple is dead and you lost your mind!” Domino shouted, his eyes narrowed. “You’re losing it, going through all these extremes. You never needed me! The empire doesn’t survive on two Tallests! You’re losing your sanity and you want someone to take with you!”

 

Red stayed quiet for the most part of it, and when Domino was finished he grinned and kicked the other hard in the middle. When The Tallest was down he knelt beside him and took a hold of his antennae. “I may be, and I will drag you down until you don’t know what you believe in anymore. By the time I’m done this Empire will be perfect again, and you will be kneeling at my feet.” He jabbed at the other’s jugular with his free claw then, “Mention Pur again and I will slit your throat.” He let go of Domino then and left the room, whistling.

 

The other Irken waited a while before stretching out with a groan, letting his aching body relax against the metal floor. “I was afraid this would get difficult…” He said to himself, reaching for his chest plate and opening it, pulling out a small microphone. “You guys be careful. Red’s lost it.”


	11. Tension

Dib was the first one to burst into the laboratory, “They said the Tallests wanted him, which means they went back to his planet.”

 

Runa hurried after him, “Wh—how do you know this?”

 

“I spent years researching Zim and everything about him!” Dib made his way to the ship. “I learned his language while hacking into his base’s computers, I know about it all. The Tallests are his leaders, and Irk is his home planet. They’re aliens whose sole purpose is to invade and conquer.”

 

Runa stopped when she realized what he was doing, “You mean…we’re going after them? You want—”

 

Dib turned back to her, not really able to read her stoic expression, but the words that wavered said it all. “We’d be too late if we chased them by ship. I know of Zim’s orbital station and they have teleporters. All we need is to use his camouflage machine to look like the other Irkens.”

 

Runa was having a hard time keeping up with Dib, since it seemed like since the capture and till now he had covered all the bases. He was a quick thinker under pressure, something she wasn’t. Runa felt like she wanted to destroy everyone in her sight when it happened, until Dib smacked her out of it. She raised her hand to feel the still sore spot, wincing.

 

“Whatever. If it works then I’m going with you.” She finally decided, following him into the ship. It didn’t take Dib long to figure out the controls, and when it was ready the ground above them opened up like double doors, the ship ascending from the field beside their home and making its way into the atmosphere.

 

Runa sat down, bothered. She watched Dib do everything with such finesse and felt envy. He was confident, up to the point where he could take control of any situation. She felt frustrated, not being able to do anything but follow Dib’s instructions. The worst part of it was how she felt when Avery was taken; how she wanted to kill everyone she saw. Dib was quick to act on that and she was too embarrassed to thank him for it. It felt like a panic attack, a last resort feeling after everything went wrong.

 

Although she never had that feeling before she met Zim. Before him she forced herself to live in a happy ignorance after what she and Avery went though. She missed that, pretending that everything was okay. But when she met Zim she was forced into the reality of her situation, of what she was. Everything came back to the point where she felt conflicted about everything. She tried to let herself go with Zim, in fact he encouraged it. But outside that control… it was hard.

 

She was made to be a puppet, and it was difficult to attempt otherwise.

 

“—na.” A hand shook her shoulder, jarring Runa out of her daze. She looked up to see Dib staring down at her. “We’re here.”

 

That fast? She nodded slightly and got up, following him to the docking bay. Dib was able to get them inside, and suddenly Runa was filled with flashbacks. This was the ship…

 

Dib was pushed aside, his glasses almost falling off as Runa ran past him. He quickly adjusted them and followed her. “Runa?”

 

“I’ve been here.” She kept running, knowing exactly where everything was. She led Dib down multiple hallways and to an elevator, where Dib had to catch his breath when he reached it.

 

When the elevator stopped Runa led him to the teleportation bay, though not as fast as before. Dib could tell by her body language that he struck a chord. Wordlessly they both entered the room and Dib found the disguise-pod.

 

“You first.” Dib activated it, ushering her inside. Runa just stood there, closing her eye and taking a deep breath. When Dib found an Irken disguise good enough he pressed the button. The machine closed up like a capsule, lighting up and a yelp of pain was heard before it opened up and she tumbled out. She looked so much like an Irken that Dib had to do a double take.

 

She blinked, green eyes glancing down at her new skin and she flinched. “Three…” She moved her hand around, amazed.

 

Dib chuckled at that and picked out a disguise for himself, getting inside and screaming when it closed up. Runa watched as an blue eyed Irken came out of the pod, wincing and holding his arm. “Why didn’t you tell me that hurt so badly?”

 

She shrugged, “Pain tolerance.”

 

Dib sighed and waved her along, stepping over to the teleporters and reading each one’s destination point. “Foodcourtia…Conventia…Earth…The Massive—eh? This one is broken …Irk! There, this one.”

 

Runa looked wearily at the machine, “Are you sure?”

 

Dib only smiled, “What’s the worst that can happen?”

 

* * *

 

 

They were thrown in a cell.

 

“UNLEASH ME!” Zim shouted from the cell, his hands shaking the bars until something akin to a cattle prod was stuck through, zapping him back.

 

Avery sat back against the wall, tired of Zim and not even finding amusement from what just happened. “Just sit down. There’s nothing we can do.”

 

Before they could kill each other some sort of gas was leaked in the tube they shared, knocking them out for who knows how long. When they came to the planet Irk was in sight, and Zim felt a mixture of emotions. Avery felt them, as they were connected. At first he felt almost sorry for him.

 

Now he wanted to shove him out of the airlock.

 

“At least the other one is quiet.” Rhas mumbled, taking a seat by the door. “When will the Tallests get here anyway?”

 

Kyo was having too much fun with the prod, laughing. “I sent a message, it should be any time.”

 

“STOP-“ Zap. “STOP IT-“ Zap zap. “ZIM WILL-“ Zaaaaaaaaaaap.

 

Avery felt a migraine coming and groaned, glaring at Zim. “Shut up.”

 

That was when Zim felt a light shove and suddenly he was slammed into the wall. “AVERY!” He shouted, hissing in pain. When he was able to move again he crawled over to him and grabbed him by the collar. “You…you’re a horrible slave!”

 

Avery reached up and touched the spot between his eyes. “If you call me your slave again you’ll go through the wall.”

 

The way Zim backed off after that had Kyo and Rhas laughing hysterically. “This is the best show I’ve ever gotten!”

 

“It’s a shame Zim has to die.” Rhas cackled, “I would pay to watch that thing do it for us!”

 

When the two Irkens were also slammed into the wall the laughter was cut off quickly. Avery had enough, and Zim knew it. He grinned. “Avery. Get us out of this cell.”

 

Before Avery could lash out at Zim for ordering him he felt the chains of the bond tighten and he snarled, the rage at Zim was then directed to the bars and they were ripped apart. He stepped out of the cell, watching Zim march past him and kick the door open.

 

“G—get—help. Rhas!” Kyo cried out before letting exhaustion take him.

 

* * *

 

Sirens were buzzing overhead, but it didn’t really bother Avery. “Alright Zim, just show me where to go. I’ll accept this…contract…” He glared at the Irken in front of him, “…until we get back to Earth.”

 

Zim was chuckling to himself, no… he didn’t want to go back to Earth just yet. He had a weapon, and if he played his cards just right, he would be able to get his revenge. His plan hadn’t gone exactly as he wanted it, but this worked just fine.

 

Those thoughts of course, echoed into Avery, and he couldn’t help feel the emotions. He felt like he was swimming in wrath, almost drowning in it. They were too strong and he couldn’t think straight.

 

 _‘Yeessss drown in the anger, be engulfed in his fury.’_ He could hear Zim’s voice, but it wasn’t Zim talking. _‘You of all people know what it feels like to want revenge. Let it take over.’_

 

Avery shut his eyes, stopping in his tracks and faintly hearing the actual Zim scream at him in a panicked voice. Soldiers were gathering around them, but Avery couldn’t hear it. His mind was storming, the heat of the emotions were boiling over and,

 

“Avery!"

 

Avery screamed, his arms flying out and causing the soldiers on both ends to be flung backwards into the wall. He opened his eyes and could have sworn he noticed a pleased grin on Zim’s face before he turned to extend his spider legs and jump off the balcony. Avery followed him with a groan.

 

* * *

 

 

“What the hell is going on?” Red cried out, watching soldiers run towards the cell block. “Zim ESCAPED?” He pushed past the wave of fleeing Irkens and caught sight of Zim and the human, his eyes moving to the human when the ground began to shake. He caught onto the railing and grinned at the sight, “Meekrob…”

 

Domino almost fell over, being caught in the panic. “Re-RED!” He lost the Tallest when he extended his spider-legs and leapt off the balcony. “RED, DAMNIT!”

 

Red was too distracted with whatever was fighting for Zim. They were backed into a corner, something Zim didn’t think through. Avery was keeping them away, but it wasn’t much.

 

* * *

 

 

Runa held onto Dib’s hand as the ground was shaking. “That’s Avery!” She cried out as they fought past the waves of Irkens running the other way. They ran through the hallways, following the tremors as they increased in volume.

 

“Zim has to be there.” Dib shouted, looking along the railings to the floors below, scanning the area until he spotted Zim and Avery surrounded by guards, but none getting near the two. “There Runa, over there!” He pointed, and Runa grabbed onto him, “Hold on!” She leapt off the side, taking a screaming Dib with her.

 

* * *

 

 

Domino saw the two Irkens leaping down, noting right away that they weren’t Irkens at all. No sane Irken wouldn’t go without their PAK extensions. He had to get down there. He extended his own appendages and threw himself off the side, rushing after the two Irkens. If they were Resisty then this was the worst time.

 

* * *

 

 

Red descended down before the soldiers, grinning at Zim as his legs receded back into his PAK. “Hello, Zim.”

 

The sight of the Tallest made his antennae twitch. “Avery ATTACK!” Zim said without thinking. Avery, too drunk on the Irken’s emotions, held onto the wall. The wall began to crack immediately, embedded beams flying out at the Tallest. Red quickly deflected them with a force field and hurried over to the Hybrid, pulling out a small syringe from inside his chest plate and quickly injecting him in the neck.

 

Before Avery could attack again he felt weak and his sight went dark. Zim was left all alone when Avery passed out in front of him. Soon enough Zim was face to face with his former leader, the taller one grinning menacingly at him. “I see three offences that lead to death, Zim; increasing your height by illegal means, attempted assassination of a Tallest and genocide on Irk. Oh, you’ve killed your last Tallest, Zim.”

 

The last part caught Zim off guard, “Eh?”

 

Red grabbed him by the antennae, “Guards, take that human to the test rooms. Zim is to be put in the more secure cells. His execution is in one night’s time.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Avery!”

 

“Zim—”

 

They were so close, but something grabbed them both by the arm and pulled the two into a dark lit hallway at the very same time Red reached Zim.

 

Runa was about to pull her weapon out but Domino smacked her hand away, “Shh, you’ll give yourself away.”

 

Dib was completely calm under the circumstances, “—the purple Tallest?” His eyes went wide. “Why are you—”

 

 _‘He must have meant Purple…’_ Domino sighed and shook his head, “Look. Whoever you two are it’s not time to do anything heroic. Red is off the deep end and he might have you both executed for just getting in the way.”

 

Runa wanted to get out of there and save Avery, but was pulled back. “Let go of me!”

 

“Listen!” He hissed, holding them tight. “Keep your disguises on. Anything other than an Irken on this planet right now is a target for experiments. If you want to save Zim or that human over there then you’re going to have to trust me.” He pulled out a paper and wrote on it, handing it to Runa. After a moment of staring at it she gave it to Dib.

 

“Where is this?”

 

“There’s a map on every floor of this place, just meet me there.” Domino got up and left them to join Red, trying to keep him from hurting Zim anymore than he already had.

 

Runa bit her lip. “Do we…trust him?”

 

Dib stared at the paper. Thermal paper…so they wrote with their own claws… “He knew we aren’t Irken. I say he knows something we don’t.” He grinned reassuringly at her. “Hey we’re not dead, so it’s a good shot huh?”

 

Runa sighed and watched helplessly as they dragged her brother away.


	12. Insanity

The room was black, that’s all he knew. It was black and cold and he couldn’t hear anyone or anything. He also couldn’t move. That was the alarming part of it all; both of his arms and legs were restrained, and from what he could figure he was lying vertically, strapped to the wall.

 

When the lights came on they were blinding. White hot fluorescent lights that gave no warning, causing an immediate headache. After shutting his eyes and opening them again, he took another look around the room. A bed on the side and a mirror on the opposite wall. It was obviously a two-way mirror, or else such a thing would be considered frivolous for such a bare room.

 

He heard a clicking noise, almost like a conversation followed by another light clicking. The door then opened, and Tallest Red entered, shutting and locking the door behind him.

 

Avery tried to move, as he did before. When he tried to use his ability he felt a shooting pain in his skull that made him cry out.

 

Red grinned, “That’s the implant I had them put in you. Temporary of course, but I don’t want to get hurt as of yet.” He moved closer to him, quirking his antennae in interest. “Tell me, what else can you do?”

 

Avery refused to answer him, glaring steadily at the Irken.

 

Red chuckled a little before slamming his gauntlet into his gut, causing Avery to cry out again. He purred at that and reached up to tap a claw to his forehead. “I want to know what you are. Now you don’t want me to find out the hard way, do you? But then the thought of strapping you to a table, cutting open that skull—”

 

The words sent Avery into a sudden panic, flashbacks sending him to a fright. “NO!” He shouted, breathing heavily and trying to calm down. “I—I’m human.”

 

Red looked amused at the reaction and smirked, “No, you’re not. Zim had sent us humans in the past. They’re too stupid for anything. You’re more advanced, almost…like you’re from another planet. But the only species I know that had such ability with just their mind were wiped out ages ago…”

 

Avery glared at him, not intending to give the Irken any sort of answer.

 

Red continued, watching the other’s expressions, “Yet, the Meekrob were a resilient race, a couple could have escaped….made it to Earth, created a hybrid form…”

 

Avery wasn’t stupid. “You’ve taken DNA while I was implanted, don’t fucking play around with me.”

 

Red brightened at that and laughed, “You’re going to give us so much more. You’re a valuable species.” He reached up to wrap his hand around his neck, just enough to make Avery fight against it, needing to breathe. What assaulted his mind then were images and feelings, things that no one should ever see or feel, causing him to scream. The images were worse than his own memories, and the more he screamed the more Red laughed.

 

“I’m going to do much more than show you what I can do, hybrid.” Red hissed out in Avery’s ear, licking the shell of it before dropping him.

 

Avery scrambled to a corner, his eye twitching as Red crept up on him, unsnapping his gauntlets and wishing he didn’t see his nightmares in the Irken’s eyes.

 

He could faintly hear a child crying.

 

* * *

 

 

Runa and Dib waited at the designated spot for the Tallest, getting curious looks from some guards that were standing around the hallways. Dib couldn’t shake the thought but…

 

“Did you notice that this place is built like a shopping mall?”

 

Runa blinked at the question and looked around. They were on the third floor, and yes…yes it was. Just like a shopping mall. “…that’s creepy.” She said, frowning.

 

A few minutes passed before Domino appeared from around the corner, the guards standing at attention when he passed by. After a while of watching him he realized that this Tallest was different than the one he remembered. This one wore golden robes; and even if he had purple eyes, they were harder.

 

“There you two are. Ah… these two are going to handle the execution.” He took a hold of their arms, “I require to see the prisoner.” He said to the guards, ushering the two past them into a cell that looked heavily secured. Zim was inside of that cell, contained in a glass cage surrounded by iron bars.

 

When Domino dismissed the guards he shut the door, leaning against it. “Alright children, play nice.”

 

Zim was hissing at Domino ever since he caught sight of him. The last thing he wanted to see was another Tallest, it just made his blood boil despite the fact that the small logical part of his brain knew that wasn’t Purple at all. Raw emotions were dominant at the moment.

 

Runa could feel it, and she quickly shut her disguise off hoping it would calm him down.

 

Instead of calming him down, it just flat out confused him. “Runa-pet…?” Was this real or an illusion, was she really there. No it had to be a trick!

 

Runa held her head, “Dib, you probably can do this better. He’s conflicted.” At Runa’s word Dib stepped up and shut off his disguise, making Zim feel even more confused.

 

Domino pushed himself off from the door and moved towards them, ignoring Zim when he began to growl. “I had my suspicions. No real Irken would throw themselves off of a fourth story floor without any sort of help. Yet you survived it. If you two are here for Zim and that male then you need to act fast. He will be executed tomorrow and Red had planned the worst thing for an Irken to die from.”

 

Runa was half-listening, reaching through the bars to touch the glass. “Zim, Zim please!”

 

“LIES! You’re all lies!”

 

Domino winced at the scream and moved to deactivate the lock on the bars. “Do what you have to, calm him down. He needs to be here for what I have to say and we don’t have enough time!”

 

When the door swung open Runa pushed past Dib and made a fist, smashing it against the glass as hard as possible. After a few more tries she was able to punch through. Ignoring the bloody mess that was her fist she reached for Zim and brought him forward, kissing him hard and then punching him in the face with her unmarred fist.

 

Dib tried to make the first move but when Runa shoved him aside he felt a spark of jealousy, which flared a little when he saw her kiss him. He looked away, feeling slightly hurt and betrayed. It was like he had been replaced. It was supposed to be him that could bring him back. It was always him that brought him back. Suddenly he felt like a third wheel in a one-sided relationship…

 

The impact of both the kiss and then the slam in the face brought Zim back to reality, and he hissed once he saw Runa’s arm. “Stupid Runa-pet, Zim can escape such a lame contraption without your help!” He tried to activate his PAK but something fizzled. They had disabled the alternate functions. “Cursed Red—eh?” His attention was then taken to the other Tallest in the room. He recognized him immediately, “What’s a traitor to the Empire doing in Tallest robes!” He was shocked.

 

Runa let out a sigh, relieved he was back to normal.

 

Domino’s antennae twitched before shaking it off. Zim wasn’t the only one to make such an accusation. “This isn’t important, but what is important is the fact that you’re being executed by drowning. Tomorrow you will be placed in the Dunk Tank of Doom in front of what’s left of the Irken population and die the most horrible death in the acidic liquid, water.

 

That made Zim go pale, “W—why? My height? Is this because of my height? Such a punishment is too severe for this!”

 

Domino folded his arms, “You were set up, Zim. I never agreed on it in the first place. Since you have been on Earth, you probably don’t know that a virus was set out on the Massive. At least half the population of Irk has perished, your former Tallest Purple included,”

 

Domino’s words sent Zim into still shock, taking over Dib and Runa’s attention as well.

 

“I knew about this plan from the beginning, and when they wanted to assign you as a fall-guy, I was against it. I don’t believe in such dirty politics. I’m not letting you die from something you didn’t commit.” He pointed to both Dib and Runa, “One of you will have to take over and play Zim’s part, but if you’re intending to get that hybrid out of here as well I won’t be able to assist you.”

 

“Hybrid…” Runa stood up, “Avery! Where did they take him?”

 

A look of worry went on his worn features. “Red’s decided that he’s going to be part of his new experimental process. After The Great Infection, he’s hell-bent on creating a better Irken species, cross-breeding Irkens with species he sees fit.”

 

Zim looked furious at that, “The Irken population wasn’t made from breeding! We are created from hatching tubes!”

 

“Irkens were created that way after a certain point in time, when Tallest Cyan wanted a more sterilized process. We Irkens are capable of breeding, and have done so before his invention created Irkens with intention of making that hormone in our body dormant. That’s why most of our kind is so small, only when we grow in size that hormone is activated…and then we become… lustful.” Domino shuddered, remembering something he didn’t want to remember. “You probably felt an urge to mate when you altered your size.”

 

Runa felt her skin flush and Dib could see the exchange between the two. Zim didn’t look regretful at all.

 

 _‘Looks like she’s gotten farther than you always wanted.’_ A voice mocked him.

 

“Is that why altering growth is such a taboo action?” Zim asked, trying to process all of that information quickly. “The taller we are, the more we—”

 

“Let’s not finish that, please.” Dib groaned, not wanting to listen anymore. “Let’s get back to the fact of the matter. Zim’s being framed and you want one of us to alter our disguise to become him. I have known Zim the longest, I know every eccentricity he has.”

 

“You’re volunteering, then?” Domino quirked an antenna, “If so you’ll need to be prepared for when the truth is out. I won’t know what Red will do, but in his state it’s nothing good.”

 

“Dib-human, I forbid you to do this!” Zim shouted out, glaring at him. “If anything happened—”

 

“Zim, it’s for your survival!” Dib snapped back, moving closer to the glass. He shoved his hand forward to grab onto the alien’s shoulder, wincing as he got cut by the broken glass. “I’d do anything for you, so stop being a big jerk and let me.”

 

Zim looked down at that cut hand and touched it, moving to lick the blood from his gloved finger. “If you die I’ll kill you, Dib-stink.”

 

The answer made Dib feel elated, and he blushed. “I’ll haunt you, alien-scum.” It was nostalgic, their name-calling. Almost like terms of endearment. It meant more to him than anything.

 

Runa busied herself by picking the shards of glass from her healing arm, trying not to let herself feel what Zim was feeling. It made her slightly jealous, but why would that be? It’s not like she loved him or anything…

 

 _‘They have a bond you’ll never have~’_ The small Zim was back, sitting behind her and wrapping her arms around her shoulders. _‘Isn’t it precious? Look at them.’_ His hand moved to tilt her head up, making her watch them. _‘Something you’ll never have.’_

 

“Alright alright, cut the chummy bullshit. We need to act now.” Domino snapped all three of them out of their thoughts, looking back at Domino who suddenly had a hammer in his hand. He ran at the glass cage, causing Dib and Runa to scramble out of the way before he slammed it into the glass, shattering the entire cage. The alarms began to sound, and a thumping on the door was heard. “Quick!” Domino pulled out a disguise chip from his chest plate and threw it at Dib, who activated it immediately. Dib took the one he already had off and tossed it at Zim. He and Runa turned theirs on and Domino dropped the weapon to quickly restrain Dib. “Play like you’re losing it.” He whispered harshly, then pointing the other two to unlock the door.

 

Zim and Runa quickly complied, and Zim hid behind Runa when the Guards came busting in.

 

“The little freak had a weapon in his PAK!” Domino shouted, moving to pin the false Zim down.

 

“GET OFF ME YOU STINK-THING!” Dib screamed in his best Zim-impression.

 

When the guards were fully occupied Runa took a hold of Zim’s arm and slipped the both of them out of the room.

 

“We have to find Avery.” Runa whispered, both of them pressing against the wall as the rest of the soldiers made their way to guard the cell.

 

“Experiments would be placed in the laboratories, that’s a floor down.” Zim told her, taking lead and they made like frightened Irkens leaving the scene. He knew this building inside and out, leading her to the elevator and sighing in relief when the door shut.

 

Runa leaned against the wall, still bothered by the flood of conflicting emotions coming from her contractor. “You’re angry they did this to you?”

 

Zim glanced up at her, fake-blue eyes narrowing then and he moved to stop the elevator. “Angry isn’t half of it, pet. They USED me. Again! Everyone thinks Zim is just a good candidate to toss into the fire! ‘Oh, we need someone to blame – blame Zim!’ ‘Oh hey, Zim is there, we can just play with him without his permission.’ Zim is NOT a scapegoat for everyone to use! ZIM IS NOT A SCHMUCK!” He slammed his fists into the wall next to her, making Runa wince. “Zim is smarter than they all think. I will make them realize who Zim is!”

 

The anger was hot, and Runa was feeling the full brunt of it. She brushed her phantom hair back and reached forward to take his arm. “Don’t let this take over you, please. Don’t let the anger consume you like it did my brother.” She took hold of his other arm and held him tight. “Avery went so far it was almost impossible to bring him back. Zim, he wanted to destroy everything. He was close to killing himself after our world shattered. Using so much of that power… he destroyed the entire laboratory, he almost had an aneurysm. Please I don’t want you to destroy yourself in the sake of revenge!”

 

Zim stared at her quietly, his blue eyes flickering red and then back to blue before he suddenly lashed out, slamming her against the wall and pinning her there. A chuckle was heard from behind them, one they both could hear. Zim leaned in closer until they were face to face. “Your brother is weak. I will do what I planned to do and even more. Zim is pretty aware of how far down he is, and I will take you down with me.” He hissed in her ear before biting at the lobe, causing her to gasp. He chuckled, “You’re mine, remember that. If I fall you will fall with me.”

 

Before Runa could reply her mouth was taken by his, his hands moving from her arms to rip the clothing off of her. Back was the craving to possess, to dominate and conquer. He didn’t waste any time, fueled by the pure hot ire that he was feeling for everyone that betrayed him. The union was feverish and heavy, his companion soon taken by the intensity. The heat between them was boiling over, washing an intoxicating euphoria over them.

 

In a room that was on the top floor two security guards watched the soundless video feeds throughout the building. One Irken began to laugh, “Looks like a couple of tallers are mating in Elevator Number Four.”

 

The Irken next to him chuckled, “Get the popcorn.”

 

* * *

 

 

The resistance camp was in chaos.

 

News of the capture of Zim and the message from Domino had them torn on their loyalties. Domino wasn’t their leader at all, but to be threatened to save ZIM of all people from execution…

 

“I told you setting someone up would piss him off!” Lard-Nar screamed at his partner. Dios didn’t look all that bothered, standing against the makeshift-laboratory tent wall while watching a ten armed alien do its work.

 

“We needed someone to blame it on to keep Khan safe, and now that Zim is going to be executed we can just get him out of there. I don’t see any problem in this.”

 

Lard-Nar’s eye twitched, “You see no problem in pissing off our primary financier. I don’t see why, since you’re so DAMNED STUPID!” He tossed some papers from a desk into the air in a fit of anger and frustration and pulled out the yellow couch fabric. “Vort meh gargh.”

 

Dios shook his head and stepped out of the tent, “I have everything under control, pal. If we get in there to save Zim then he—”

 

“—will kill us because Domino would have told them we used his name as bait.” The Vortian interrupted, narrowing his eyes. “Did you think about that? Did you? Huh? Huh? Zim’s an unstable death monster and he’s going to kill us all!”

 

Dios frowned, turning away to think of something fast. After a while he had nothing and shrugged.

 

“He’s the Tallest’s number one fan as well—WE’RE GONNA DIE!” Lard-Nar panicked again for the fifth time that day, cowering under the tent.

 

Dios just sat down on a box and sighed, “We’re royally screwed if we let Zim live… we’re royally screwed if we let Zim die…”

 

“I have a suggestion, if yeh not stupid enough to listen.”

 

Dios’ attention went towards the newest erected tent in which another Irken emerged from, scarred from head to toe and clad only in black pants. Red eyes gleamed with a twisted amusement. “Word is that your little scapegoat isn’t a friend of the Empire anymore anyway, I suggest yeh get the little bug part of your team. We all know about that little shit, and he can destroy anything he puts his mind to.”

 

Dios didn’t answer Crux. In fact the Irken struck a chord inside of him. The scarred Irken was Domino’s second-in-command, a mangled alien with a strange case of manic schizophrenia and PTSD wrapped up in a scary package. He woke up with the Irken standing over him once with a void look in his eyes.

 

Other than that he was an annoying foul-mouthed drunk.

 

Crux grinned, sitting next to him. “Yeh don’t have any choice in the matter. Zim, Zim, a small Irken with a huge ego.” He stopped for a moment before smacking his knee, laughing. “Make the little shit believe yeh want him to be leader!”

 

It was an insane suggestion. Making him think he was leader would probably send The Resisty into ruin faster than it would have sent the Empire.

 

“I like it.” Lard-Nar spoke up. Dios shot him a surprised look, never expecting HIM to agree with such a stupid plan.

 

But then he did agree to call their group The Resisty.

 

Dios palmed his face and groaned, “We’re all gonna die.”

 

* * *

 

 

Red tugged on the leash that connected to Avery’s collar. The human tugged back, hissing at the Irken with defiant eyes. After the initial contact, Red found himself going back to the hybrid more than he thought. The fire in the hybrid’s eyes sparked a hedonistic desire inside of him. It was the same defiant eyes that he saw from Domino so many years ago. The only difference was, the hybrid was able to be broken again and again. Though, every time he was broken he would build himself up again. The hybrid was strong and determined and Red found that alluring.

 

Red wanted to crush him.

 

“Where the fuck are we going?” Avery demanded, still holding onto the collar and making sure Red doesn’t attempt to tug on it too hard. He hated the sadistic bastard.

 

“You’ll see, pet.” Red grinned, tugging again and chuckling. “We’re going to watch the biggest event on Irk.”

 

Avery felt the thoughts coming from Red and the image of Zim’s death flashed in his head. He shuddered, trying not to grow alarmed but also beginning to calculate. As if Red knew what Avery was doing, and he did—to a point, the Irken laughed. “You can’t do anything about it, pet.”

 

Avery cursed under his breath, gagging suddenly when he was sharply pulled into a doorway. It led them into a spacious arena filled with the chatter of Irkens. The number of them had to equal the entire planet, each one occupying seats that took up entire walls. He, Red and later Domino, were perched up high on pedestals, Avery being forced to sit at Red’s feet.

 

When Domino arrived, the sight of Avery at Red’s side made him angry. “This is why I hate you.” He spoke up, sitting next to him.

 

Red only grinned and crossed his legs, “You’re only jealous that I’ve found someone better. He makes the loveliest sounds.” He purred. If Domino wasn’t in such a public place Red would have a black eye, but the Tallest had to force down the anger, mumbling something unintelligible.

 

At the foot of the arena, in the center, sat a dunk tank. It caught Avery’s attention as it looked like an Earthian contraption. To the side of the arena, where the seats began, he noticed that he was being stared at by two Irkens. One with blue eyes and one with green… It was an odd sight because they were the only ones staring at him.

 

Red rose from his seat, bringing the conversations to a slow stop and calling attention to him. Domino didn’t bother to stand as he was against the event entirely, but Red was in charge and he was going to get a show.

 

“Bring in Zim.” He commanded, and a door opposite to them was opened by two guards, the assassins from earlier (bandaged and limping) dragged in a screaming Irken that was bound in shackles.

 

“LET ME GO! You’re going to regret this day! UNHAND ME!” He shrieked, and Rhas took the moment to drop the other and give him a swift kick in the side.

 

Avery hissed, standing up before falling back to his knees with a cry, the chip stopping his powers emitting pain through his body.

 

When the Irken took hold of him again, they handed him off to Irkens in protective gear. They strapped him onto a bench next to the dunk tank and with a pulley system lowered him on the platform.

 

“Irken Zim.” Red began. “You are found guilty of treason, which is punishable by death. Altering your genetic code, which is punishable by death. Genocide of millions of Irken people, which is punishable by death. The sentence is execution by water,” A collective gasp echoed in the arena, “Have you any last words?”

 

Zim struggled against the bindings, glaring up at the Tallests. It was then that Avery noticed something, a glint in his eye when his eyes shifted over to him.

 

His head then turned to stare at the Irken with blue eyes. “If I could, I’d do it differently.” It was a loud but calm statement, filled with emotion.

 

The crowd began to roar, “Kill him! Death to Zim!”

 

The Irken in blue reached out, until he was held back. Red was too eager to see him drown and threw down his arm. The signal.

 

A scream was heard from the crowd. The Irken who was in charge of the lever began to grin maniacally, pulling out a large sledgehammer from her overcoat and swinging it right at the tank, causing it to smash open.

 

The crowd of Irkens near the water panicked and they ran upwards, screaming and pushing others back as they tried to get away from the acidic liquid.

 

The Irken who smashed the glass pulled off her coat and mask, revealing a violet-haired woman with a sharp glint in her eyes. “Always getting into trouble.”

 

“Gaz!” Dib climbed out of the tank before Gaz grabbed him by the arm. “How did you know?”

 

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Gaz twirled the hammer in her hand and went for the two Irkens that were actually running towards the water. “We have to go and fast.”

 

The sudden explosion of panic caught Red off-guard, and Avery used that moment to dive into the sudden rush of panicked Irkens looking for an exit. Red hissed and got to his feet, “Guards, capture them!” He bellowed, looking over at Domino afterwards for someone to blame. Domino looked just as shocked as Red did, but Red saw through the façade and grabbed for the man’s collar. “I blame you for this.” He growled.

 

Zim watched in shock and awe as Gaz came towards them with her brother in tow. He was close to meeting them but the water made him jump back, hissing when he remembered that they had disabled his spider legs.

 

“I have a ship ready and we better be on it in five.” Gaz sharply threw Dib against Zim and re-adorned her hood. “I planted some explosives for a distraction.”

 

Dib was dumbstruck, “Explosive—Gaz what is going on? How did you get here?”

 

Instead of answering she shot Dib a hot glare with her golden eyes.

 

“We need Avery before we can go!” Runa shouted, “We don’t have time left!”

 

She was right, the crowd of panicked Irkens was becoming thinner and the guards were beginning to pour out after them. Though the harder they tried Avery wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

 

“We have to leave NOW! He can take care of himself!” Gaz shouted, taking the hammer in her hands and throwing it to Runa. “Make yourself useful and follow me!”

 

Runa caught the hammer but hesitated. Gaz didn’t waste any more time and led the others out, Zim following without a word and Dib hesitantly going after him. Runa was conflicted.

 

“Runa!” The command came immediately, and Runa felt the chain tighten. She screamed and attacked the oncoming soldiers, protecting the others as they fled.

 

Avery, meanwhile, had made it to an alcove that hid him away from the halls. The panic and confusion made it for an easy escape, but he found himself lost and an easy target to be found. It wasn’t good.

 

_‘They left you alone, poor thing.’_

 

He turned to find himself being stared down by Red himself. Avery seized up as the image reached forward to stroke his hair, bending down to whisper in his ear. _‘When he finds you it’ll only get worse.’_

 

 _‘You’re the perfect experiment.’_ Another voice, an all too familiar voice made him shake, the figment of a bloody hand laying on his shoulder. _‘My little Avery…’_

 

Avery began to panic, the images now gone but not forgotten he started to hyperventilate, falling against the wall and sliding to the floor. The crowd was starting to get thinner, it’d only be a matter of time until he was found…

 

The feeling of panic and abandonment filled Dib as he followed Gaz, and he took a hold of her arm. “Stop! I can feel him! Gaz, Avery’s close by!”

 

“Dib, can you see we’re being chased?” Gaz shouted at him, but Dib didn’t listen, darting off in a different direction. “Damnit, DIB!” She snarled, marching after him. Zim followed wordlessly, looking behind him to the blood-splattered Runa as she slammed the hammer into another Irken’s face.

 

“Something’s wrong!” Dib shouted, following the strength of the emotions. He was above them, he could feel it.

 

“Dib we can save him later!” Gaz shouted, “We have no time!”

 

She was right, as in the distance there was an explosion. The panic of Irkens all around started up again and increased as another went off just opposite them.

 

A scream was heard from behind them and Zim snarled. When Dib and Gaz turned around they saw Runa subdued by three guards with chains, holding her down as she tried to overpower them.

 

“Shit.” Gaz hissed, grabbing for Zim and Dib both and forcing them to run with her.

 

“LEAVE ME HERE!” Zim shouted, trying to pull himself out of her grip, but it was almost like steel. “RUNA-PET!”

 

“AVERY!” Dib shouted at the same time, Gaz meanwhile was doing her best not to slam them both against the wall.

 

“I have them, ready the ship.” She spoke into the clip on her hood.

 

The explosions increased in number, forming a circle that encompassed the building. It shocked Avery out of his panic attack and he scrambled out of the way when the chain came towards him. He was met with the lower level where he could see and hear a familiar voice call out his name. Avery felt the worry and ran down the hallway, leaping off the ledge before another explosion hit and launching him towards them. He landed twenty steps behind them and grunted, pulling himself up and running as fast as he could after them. “Wai—”

 

“Not so fast, pet.”

 

Avery’s voice faded into a frightened gasp and his legs buckled, stopping him immediately. An arm hooked around his waist before he was dragged away. The last thing he could see before something blunt smacked against his head was the others escaping through glass doors.

 

Red growled when he captured his pet, glaring at the result of the small explosions that sent his people into frenzy. “This is pitiful, even by the Resisty’s standards.” He didn’t even wince as the last of the explosions erupted behind him. He made his way to the center of the mall-like palace and grinned at the sight of the guards that held an unconscious Runa in binds, while Rhas and Kyo had Domino in handcuffs.

 

“This wasn’t me, damnit.” Domino hissed at Red, narrowing his eyes.

 

 _‘He’s a lying Traitor to the Empire,’_ Red could hear his partner’s voice at his side, purple eyes wide and accusing. _‘Zim got away because of him!’_

 

Red didn’t shake the visage away, hissing in return and turning his attention to Rhas and Kyo. “Take him to the cell.” He ordered, watching them take him away.

 

 _‘Now you have two, a male and a female.’_ His own voice was prominent now, and he grinned at the sight of Runa. “Take her to the lab and have that one tested.”

 

The visage of Tallest Purple laughed.


	13. Assistance

The ship took off right before the last bomb went off, and in the air the outline of each explosion looked to be in the shape of a vampire piggy. Dib would have commented on that but instead was too shocked on how his sister got here, or how she knew where they were. Zim on the other hand, was cackling madly at what had happened until he remembered.

 

“Gaz-human, we have to go back! Zim won’t let his pet be soiled by Tallest claws!” He hissed out.

 

“Runa? Avery is back there too!” Dib shouted out, remembering the feeling of fear that hit him before they escaped. “Something’s wrong—“

 

“Both of you shut up. Those idiots will survive long enough for us to regroup.” Gaz was at the helm of the ship, directing them to a place only she knew of. She turned to look back at the two of them, a hand switching on the autopilot switch before getting up. “I knew you all were going to get yourselves into something stupid so I went ahead and prepared myself.” She took the hood off, her eyes narrowed at the both of them.

 

Zim and Dib could feel the annoyance that emanated from her and both decided not to reply, only giving each other worried looks.

 

“Now, dad’s ship is close by, we will—”

 

“DAD?” Dib lost it, “Dad doesn’t have a ship! Dad doesn’t even believe in exploring anything outside our galaxy!”

 

Gaz decided to slap him aside the head. “Shut up! Shut up before I kill you!” She was getting irritated and pinched the bridge of her nose. “You were too busy with that damn Avery to visit home. Dad came back to the country and he told me about what happened to him on his trip.”

 

The image of a white spaceship was coming into the smaller ship’s view, MEMBRANE CORPORATION was written on the side of it. Gaz smirked. “When Dad came back he went through all of your files. Congratulations Dib, you finally convinced him that aliens are real.”

 

Dib looked dumbfounded. “This is a joke, isn’t it?” He blinked owlishly at her, unable to believe that after all of this time his father was now starting to believe in what he spent his life obsessing over.

 

The timing was perfect, and the screen went into static before showing all three of them Dib’s own father, Professor Membrane. “Hello Son!” He said in his usually positive tone. “Your friend wasn’t a foreign exchange student after all, wasn’t he? I feel quite silly. He’s obviously too green to be an exchange student!”

 

“It’s a skin condition!” Zim cried out suddenly, as if by habit.

 

Membrane laughed at that, “Ha ha, oh no boy. I’ve read my son’s profile on you. Dib, I have to apologize for being so blind!”

 

Dib couldn’t believe that this was his father. “How…when did you finally believe me? You’re so against the paranormal! What finally changed your mind?”

 

“I was abducted!”

 

Zim started to laugh and Dib stared blankly at the screen. It seriously took an abduction to make him believe?

 

“Oh, the pain was excruciating and terrifying, leaving me with dreaded nightmares and a surging pain in my head whenever I microwave popcorn. It was an interesting trip!” He was still positive, but Dib could see an eye twitching behind those goggles. He frowned and watched his father talk off-screen to who he assumed was his assistant Simmons.

 

“So—uh Dad…” Dib spoke up then, glancing over at Zim worriedly. “Can you not dissect Zim?”

 

“Dissect? Oh no son!” Membrane looked amused, “No I want my subjects to be alive! Don’t worry about your little friend though. Your sister has told me about your new friends—“

 

“Not them either Dad!” Gaz growled.

 

Membrane looked only a little disappointed then, “Oh alright.” He sighed.

 

“Dad we agreed.” Gaz continued, “We’re going to rescue Dib and his stupid friends and return home. No dissecting or anything!” She took charge then, folding her arms at her father. “The other two idiots were captured, Dad. We have to figure out how to rescue them.”

 

Before Professor Membrane could say a word the screen became fuzzy and the static returned, cutting the connection and replacing it with a view of shadowed figures.

 

“I hate to interrupt.” A voice spoke out. “You are looking to rescue your friends from the Empire. We will be happy to assist, all you need to do—”

 

“The RESISTY!” Zim hissed out, trying to launch himself at the screen. Gaz caught him then, growling irritably.

 

“How did he know?” Whispered another shadow.

 

The lights came on then, and Lard-Nar looked frustrated. “I HATE THAT NAME!” He huffed, “Resisty sounds so stupid! I mean does it really strike fear—”

 

“Hey morons!” Gaz interrupted them, and they stopped. “You’re willing to help us. Good for you, but what do you want out of this?”

 

The Irken beside Lard-Nar, Dios, stood up. “We need Zim.”

 

* * *

 

 

Gaz was the first to step off the ship, having made sure Zim was bound and gagged before Gaz dragged him out. The resistance planet was depressingly bare and cold, the only thing on the planet was a glass dome with an array of tents and makeshift huts inside of it. They were allowed into the docking bay before being checked by two of the Resisty members.

 

Dib held onto Zim, sighing. His link with Avery had been severed by the distance, but while Avery was in the back of his mind, Zim was up front. The Irken was livid, almost rabid; thus Gaz had him restrained.

 

Dios and Lard-Nar were the first to greet them, having commissioned Crux to stand by and make sure Zim kept his distance.

 

The Irken was the first to speak, looking at Zim with lowered antennae, “If it helps, we didn’t think you’d find out.”

 

Zim tried to launch himself at Dios, but Dib kept a good hold on his arms. “That doesn’t help.” Dib said for him. “You honestly expect us to forgive you for blaming a mass genocide on Zim? Are you that stupid?” He was angry as well, but he wanted to get answers first and foremost.

 

Lard-Nar stepped up, “We’re completely in the wrong, we understand this, but Zim was the right person at the right time and we had little volunteers for the fall job.”

 

“We’re not asking for forgiveness.” Dios added, “We’re just….asking that you not kill us, Zim. In fact we’re offering a deal! We want a truce, if you promise not to murder us all we will make you leader of the Resisty!” As much as Dios sounded excited over it, Lard-Nar looked completely ill at the thought, even if he was the one to agree on the plan.

 

Zim struggled somewhat, trying to bite his gag off until Dib did him a favor and untied it. “YOU—will make me leader?” Zim asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

 

“Yes!” They both squeaked out.

 

As much as Zim wanted to kill them for using him, the offer of leading the entire resistance seemed more valuable to him than destroying them all. In fact, the offer was so enticing that he’d wait until after his plans to kill them.

 

Everything was going to work out splendidly!

 

Dib had a bad feeling about all of this.

 

* * *

 

 

Red grinned at his new subject, watching the medics strapping her to the specially made binds that were to hold her limbs in place. She was nude, the eye patch over her eye missing and showing the empty socket. When she was secure the binds retracted, lifting her off the floor and hanging her body still.

 

“Begin.” Red commanded, and a few scientists gave one weary glance at him before retreating behind a console. Above Runa, an Irken PAK was lowered, the back ports opening to reveal two metal tubes that searched for its host. When the PAK was hovered over Runa the tubes were drawn to the body, latching onto her back and drilling into her body.

 

The hybrid began to scream, suddenly conscious and in a pain that she couldn’t describe. After the horrifying penetrating feeling she began to feel electric shocks pulse throughout her entire body.

 

“Give me the stats.” Red spoke to a medic who stood on his side of the wall, in the observation room.

 

“The PAK is calibrating itself to the hybrid’s body. Though we’re getting some resistance, the procedure will be successful, Sir.” The medics on standby were holding their own antennae from the deafening sound of the human’s screeching as the electro-pulses became faster. Red enjoyed the screaming, it made him hum and cackle a little in amusement.

 

“When the calibration is complete begin system upgrades and perform a complete wipe of the memory.”

 

The medic stared at Red with wide eyes, “My Tallest, the hybrid isn’t an Irken, we just can’t—”

 

Red growled dangerously, “I know what we are capable of, now when the procedure is complete take her to the control brains. I will take it from there.” He left the medic dumbfounded and quiet.

 

A scientist next to him shook his head and sighed. “I don’t know, do you think Tallest Red is going insane?”

 

The medic glanced at the door Red left though again, making sure they were alone, “If that’s true then all of us are in jeopardy. This plan of his is crazy.”

 

The scientist nodded to himself and sighed, “I believe losing Tallest Purple has driven him off the edge.”

 

* * *

 

 

Zim doubled over, feeling a sudden pain and he screamed. The bond was cut, severed violently. “RED!” He hissed out in anger, knowing the very person who could have accomplished it.

 

“Zim!” Dib heard the scream from outside the tent, rushing inside and quickly picking him up. “Zim what is it?” He was worried. Ever since they landed something was off.

 

“Runa-pet...” He rasped out. Dib dropped him then, annoyed. “HEY!”

 

“Damnit Zim! Damnit! I’m trying to help you and you call out for her?” His jealousy had finally boiled over; not understanding why he said it, but knowing that he was sick of hearing it. “I waited for you to come back for years, Zim. Doesn’t that count for anything? Don’t even yell at me about contracting with Avery! I had to do that or he was going to die of his own power. I thought you left me Zim…” He fell to his knees, staring at the pained Irken. “I thought I lost you.”

 

“Stupid Dib-worm…” Zim winced, “My blood contract was severed! Red…he…” Zim couldn’t say, he didn’t know what Red did, but he knew he did something. He took a moment to breathe until Dib’s words sank in and he looked at the human. “You and your stupid human emotions. Zim never left you.” He frowned, “Zim was always over you, looking down and laughing.” He tried to laugh, but the pain was too much. “Do you know how much a severed blood contract hurts, human?” He asked then, grimacing.

 

Dib was amused a little at first, but at the question he shook his head, moving to help him into the cot. “Is…that what you were saying?” He felt embarrassed then, to explode so suddenly. “Zim, what can I do?”

 

Zim punched him in the gut then, causing Dib to double over and cry out. “Be in pain with Zim.” He hissed out, smiling just slightly and curling up on the cot.

 

Dib’s free hand reached up and took Zim’s hand with his own, squeezing it.

 

* * *

 

 

Red stood before the control brains, silently thanking Purple that they weren’t harmed during the Great Infection. They were important to the Irken Race after all, they were the reason there was an Irken race. Beside Red, Runa’s lifeless body was crumpled on the floor, eyes void of light.

 

“What is the meaning of this hybrid creature you have brought before us?” One of the brains asked.

 

Red bowed his head, “She is our key. This creature is our salvation. I have told you I would bring an ending to our vulnerability.”

 

“That creature is part Meekrob. I thought you destroyed the entire race long ago.”

 

“That does not matter anymore,” the other brain interjected, “The female has what our species needs.”

 

Red nodded, stepping away from her and pulling out a disc, placing it inside a machine hooked up to the brain. “Begin download process.”

 

A cord whipped out from above their platform, snaking down towards the female and plugging it into her PAK. An electrical jolt caused her to gasp for air, feeling her heart start pumping again. Her eyes were wide, seeing a flooding of images that portrayed her life. Born in a normal family… abducted young and subjected to experiments… an Irken named Zim… horrible memories of pain and torture… rescued by the Irken Empire… training as an Irken… Tallests… Red… Red’s eyes…

 

Red tilted her chin up, watching her eyes flicker from point to point as she took in each and every memory he constructed for her. “Your name is Runa. We raised you as a warrior, one of the Irken Elite. You’ve earned the right to become my mate. Remember who you are, who you will become.” He grinned, watching as her eyes finally shut and realization dawned upon her face. She stared up at him for a moment before grinning.

 

“My loyalty lies with you.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

It hurt, it fucking hurt and even trying to read minds gave him a headache. Avery groaned, “Fucking Irkens…” He mumbled. “I need a cigarette.”

 

“Shut up in there.” Rhas said from the corner, stretched out in her chair and bored beyond belief.

 

Avery glared at her and felt a spark in the back of his neck, making him yelp. Across the cell Domino opened one eye, watching him. “What’s with you?”

 

“Something bit me!” Avery felt the back of his neck, feeling something and picking at it. When he finally pulled it out he looked at it, removing his glasses to look closer. “Fucking hell…”

 

Domino shifted over to Avery to look at what it was, his eyes widening at the find. “That’s an inhibitor.” It looked like a microscopic pill, and Domino reached over and took it between his claws. “That’s the thing Red stuck inside of you to control your abilities.”

 

The word ‘abilities’ made Rhas alert. “…oh shit.”

 

* * *

 

 

The explosion was tremendous, coming from the cell blocks. A single Irken was seen screaming, running away from the blast until her PAK was severed from her back, making her fall limp like a ragdoll. Irkens who were doing their daily diligence either freaked out and ran or stood in stunned silence at the scene.

 

Out from the smoke came a human and Tallest Domino, the human being held upright against him, his nose bleeding.

 

“I can do more.” Avery rasped, stepping over the sparking PAK that once belonged to Rhas.

 

“Save it for when we escape.” Domino hissed, narrowing his eyes. “The guards will be here soon, I can get us out.”

 

With a limp nod, Avery allowed the Irken to carry him down the hallway.

* * *

 

 

Dib’s focus became Zim. The longer the Irken was in pain the more the human stayed at his side, going so far as to actually move himself into Zim’s tent and put their cots together. Zim wouldn’t admit it but he was touched by the human’s loyalty. He never heard a word about the Avery, and to help he kept his worry for Runa to himself. Either one was a touchy subject neither wanted to think about.

 

It was the broken contract that kept Zim in so much debilitating pain, so much that he wasn’t allowed to move and was forced on bedrest. Dib tried his hardest to understand it, but while he looked over recorded Irken texts, nothing about the Meekrob or their culture was recorded, or it was all erased at the same time that they were. So, Dib did what a human could and did his best to care for the alien.

 

After a while, Zim would begin shrieking, as if the pain was getting worse and eating him from the inside. Dios ordered for him to be sedated, looking quite bothered. One day, Dib approached him with sleep-deprived eyes, begging for help.

 

“I can’t stand it anymore!” He shouted, “If this keeps continuing then he’s definitely going to die. I know Irkens have a higher pain tolerance but this is starting to get out of hand. Why was my severed contact so painless and his is killing him?”

 

Dios didn’t even look at him, training his eyes on the ground below his feet. “Never get bonded to a Meekrob, Dib. Their power is what kills you.” He cleared his throat, “Their power is volatile and risky, which is why they’re a pacifistic race - they’re aware of how dangerous they are. The Meekrob have learned long ago that if they bond themselves to another being, by blood, then that being can help them bear that power.” He stood up and finally looked at him, “Dib, the more powerful they are, the more unstable their power is. It’s lead to many a contractor going insane, while a broken contract can lead to death. Every species is different, however. While it looks like humans don’t suffer at all, Irkens suffer the worst of it.” He looked grim at the fact, moving his hand to rest it on Dib’s shoulder. “Without help, I’m afraid he won’t have much longer.”

 

Dib’s face became gaunt at his words, looking completely devastated and trying his hardest not to cry. Goddamnit Zim! He always did things without thinking of the risks involved. That stubborn asshole had signed a death-warrant by contracting with Runa. Though, he shouldn’t be talking, as he was contracted to Avery. That wasn’t his choice, but at least Avery was more stable.

 

“How do I fix this?” Dib asked him. “Is there at least some way to reverse this whole thing? Please.” He begged, watching Dios’ face for any sort of positive reaction.

 

The Irken thought about it and glanced away, moving to step out of the tent and make his way to Dib’s tent. “While I don’t have the resources needed, I know who does.” He said. “My brothers, Khan and Adon. They’re good at what they do and know more about this.” He studied Zim, feeling the Irken’s forehead. “I’ll arrange one of our ships and take you and Zim to Retristè.”

* * *

 

 

Waiting for the ship took about a day, as the Resisty only had two working ones and had to wait for one to return in order to use it. Dios assisted Dib in carrying Zim into the back, having sedated him beforehand and strapped him to the cot. “It’ll take a few hours at the topmost speed.” Dios explained, shutting the door once Dib was inside.

 

It was a grueling two hours, and Dib couldn’t sit still, often leaving the seat to tend to Zim. He regained consciousness after an hour, shouting at Dios for his ‘erratic driving’ and demanding to be released from the cot.

 

“Shut the fuck up, we’re almost there.” Dios hissed at him, both Irkens starting to argue in their own language while Dib tried his best not to take sides. Zim wasn’t quiet about hating Dios, and by the time they left the ship, he wished Zim was sedated again.

 

“This place stinks of rotten meat.” Zim hissed out as they made their way down the marketplace, “Everything is filthy, what kind of alien even lives here?”

 

“I’d watch your tongue, Zim.” Dios warned, “Everyone who lives here can kill you in a split second, so keep your comments to yourself.”

 

That seemed to shut Zim up, and Dios smiled pleasantly when they reached the hospital building. Dios was the first to enter, whistling and waiting for his brothers.

 

Khan was the first one out, looking quite happy--until he saw Zim. The small Irken went white as a sheet immediately and his antennae began twitching. “Ahh--Dios? Wh-what’s Zim doing here?”

 

Dib felt Zim’s arm tensing in his grip, looking over to see the Irken glaring daggers at the other alien and he yelped when Zim lunged forward. “Zim!” He shouted, holding on as tight as he could and trying to keep the Irken from attacking the other.

 

Khan screamed and almost tripped over a box while stumbling back against the wall, trying his best to become the wall itself. “I--I--I didn’t mean to, Zim. Honest! I’m sorry, I’m sorry for everything and--”

 

“You defiled the name of ZIM!” He snarled, “Give me a good reason why I shouldn’t rip your eyes out!”

 

“Dios made me do it!” Khan shouted, keening and running towards his other brother when Adon stepped out. Khan hid behind the mute Irken, the older one glaring at all of them and holding a finger to his mouth.

 

Dios felt Zim’s glare on him and stepped away, “I think Zim knows how much we regret our actions, but this is not the time to dwell on the past.” He said smoothly, “We’re here because Zim’s on the wrong part of a Blood contract with a Meekrob.”

 

Adon nodded in understanding, assessing Zim and stepping closer. While Zim wished to attack Khan and Dios, something about Adon’s presence made Zim obey. He shrank away from the Irken’s hard gaze and cowered closer to Dib, despite the Irken being half his height.

 

Adon snapped his fingers at Khan and took out a notepad, writing something down and handing it to the smaller. Khan nodded quietly and read it, “Adon says your pain is due to the blood of the Meekrob being inside of you, and that if you wish to undo the contract then it must be cleaned out of your body.” He swallowed thickly at Zim’s weary gaze, “Adon wants to perform a blood transfusion as soon as possible.”

 

Dib looked slightly relieved, looking over at Zim and grinning. The Irken looked completely against the idea, but he knew very well that Zim was going to go through with it.

 

“How long is this process?” Zim eventually asked, quirking an antennae.

 

“It varies, one to four hours.” Khan said nervously, attempting a smile. “I won’t be there, however.”

 

“He faints at the sight of blood.” Dios explained, chuckling. “This is something he won’t have any part in.”

 

Zim snorted in amusement at the smaller Irken, peering at him threateningly until Khan whimpered and went back behind Adon. The older Irken only glared warningly at Zim and shook his head, managing to stop Zim right there.

 

* * *

 

A blood transfusion sounded simple, but in reality it was quite the opposite. Zim didn’t realize that it was more painful than the pain he was already in, and there wasn’t a way that Adon could pump him full of painkillers to lessen the effect.

 

Zim knew that he was going to die here. Dib was going to live on without him, and--

 

“AAAAAAAAGH!” He screamed again, gripping his claws into Dib’s shirt and pulling it closer, affectively dragging the other closer to him. “I’m not going to make it Dib-stink, I’m not going to--gAHHHH”

 

“It’s been only two hours!” Dib shouted out, looking over at Adon for an answer. The Irken didn’t look too interested in the conversation, looking bored.

 

“I never got to tell you how I’ve felt!” Zim panted, “If I’m going to die, then you’re going to live on with that Meekrob piece of shit and the thought of you and him even TOUCHING--” He hissed then, gripping the shirt further. “It makes me wish to STRANGLE HIM! EVERY TIME HE LOOKS AT YOU FILLS ME WITH HATE!”

 

Dib’s eyes stared straight at Zim’s angry yet pained face, trying to process what he just said. “Are you saying you like me?” He asked.

 

“Like, want, possess, own, you’ve been my human from the start!” He hissed again, “MINE!”

 

Dib looked over at Adon and back to Zim, realizing what was happening. “You’re shitting me. You wait until now to tell me all of this?”

 

“YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW!” The Irken yelled, “PRomise me, Dib. Promise me that if I die, you’ll die with me. I won’t die unless I take you with me!” He let go of Dib’s shirt then, reaching for his hair scythe and yanking him forward, causing Dib to cry out. “BE IN PAIN WITH ZIM!”

 

Dib tried to think that his tears was the result of Zim trying to put him through pain, not the reaction of finally knowing how much he meant to Zim. He continued to cry until the pain was dead and gone, and Zim had let him go after realizing he just spilled out his secrets to the human.

 

Dib could only grin and tease him afterward.

 

* * *

 

 

By the time Domino reached Retristè, Avery had passed out for the second time. He was still weak from the escape, and while it worried Domino, the fact that Red had gone farther downhill worried him more. He left Avery on the ship and rushed towards his club, hurriedly greeting the shocked masses before heading up to his office. Once inside he practically tore the place apart, looking for something specific. When he finally found it he took the disc and shoved it into the control board he had on his desk. It was the blueprints for the virus the Resisty had created. Every little bit of information on it.

 

“This is…. Don’t tell me he’s infected…” He took a closer look at the effects and cursed himself. “That female he has… she’s unstable.” He remembered his encounters with Runa, and immediately something about her set him off. “They’re both unstable…” If he guessed right then the rumors he heard about…

 

Domino left his office then in a hurry, making his way through the crowd and to the ship. He needed to know how unstable that female was.

 

Avery was gone.

 

* * *

 

 

Gaz glanced at Avery in the passenger’s seat and groaned. Such a problem. She hated problems. He was a problem to her since Dib had met him, and now she was going to be his problem. With a small smirk she thought about how she could repay him for his idiocy.

 

“Dad.” She turned on the communicator, the screen showing her father.

 

Professor Membrane smiled at his daughter, but when he caught the sight of Avery he was confused. “Honey what is my assistant doing there? I thought he was on vacation!”

 

Gaz rolled her eyes and shook her head. “No dad, he’s actually the cause of all of our problems. I’m going to need you to get Simmons to help me with something. Remember that book I showed you earlier? It’s in my room. I’ll need that and a knife and accessibility to your lab.” She glanced again at Avery’s unconscious body. “Rope, I’ll need some rope as well…” She then smirked, “Also one of your electro-collars.”

 

Membrane nodded with every request, ‘uh-huh’ing every now and then. “Alright honey I’ll have Simmons bring those items up. What are you planning, if I might ask?”

 

“I’m going to make someone suffer.” She told him flat out, giving him a look that held malicious intent.

 

“Well you have fun then honey, I’ll see you soon!” Membrane smiled at her and waved before the connection cut off, and Gaz let out a small growl, grinning at the possibilities.


	14. Rewritten

Dib sat on the cot that he shared with Zim, staring at his new array of scratches and bite marks. Their love-making lasted forever, it seemed. Years upon years of rage, lust, wanting, needing, it all culminated into a fiery meltdown of searing, sweltering sexual energy that left both of them drained of everything. By far, it was the best thing that Dib had ever experienced. He was claimed by Zim in every single way possible, and some ways he never thought possible! He could still feel those Irken claws on him, raking down his skin, making him bleed and shudder with need.

 

He looked at the spot where Zim should have been. Hours after their mating he had left Dib to discuss his plans with Dios and Lard-Nar. He could feel that Runa was on his mind, and Zim was worried about her. He snorted in amusement; Zim being worried about someone. He understood the worry, for he was worried about Avery as well. He knew what Avery was like. Without control he could kill himself. Avery didn’t care for his own well being when it came to his abilities, and coupled with his temper it made him a time bomb waiting to happen.

 

* * *

 

 

Said time bomb was tied up to a table that stood up vertically, screaming incoherently through the gag that was tied over his mouth. Gaz only rubbed her temples, watching as Simmons was making out the design from the book on the floor of the biggest laboratory in her father’s ship.

 

“Are you sure this is alright?” Simmons asked nervously.

 

“Just follow instructions.” Gaz barked out, turning around to a table to gather the candles. “Thank you dad,” She looked up at the second floor, where Professor Membrane was setting up his video equipment.

 

“Thank you daughter, for letting me film this moment!” He grinned, putting the camera into place. “Simmons, get the symbols right, the slightest mistake will have HORRIBLE CONSEQUENCES, but please don’t feel pressured.”

 

Simmons nodded, whining a little ‘yeah’ and shaking slightly as he drew the next sigil.

 

Gaz lit the candles and spaced them out along the circle, and when that was over she moved to get the knife. “You’re going to pay dearly for this.” She spoke only to Avery, glaring at him.

 

 _‘I’m not even asking you to do this!’_ Avery cried out in her mind. _‘You don’t even need the fucking ritual shit.’_

 

Her eyes went dark, “You dare to speak back to me?”

 

 _“I—I meant—“_ Avery went pale, seeing a dark aura form around her. _“—I’m sorry.”_

 

Gaz stepped in the circle once it was completed, taking the knife and pressing the blade against his cheek, “I’m going to make sure of that. Simmons, shut off the lights!” She slid the knife down and glared at Avery. She rose a hand to slice it with the knife, her eyes never leaving Avery’s. When Gaz swiftly sliced the knife across his palm he screamed, she took the moment then to join their hands together. Avery’s eyes widened at that, feeling the strong pull and coming face to face with his new contractor, Gaz’s eyes were glowing pure violet.

 

“STOP IT!” The pressure was blinding, the candles were beginning to turn colors, staying at violet and flaring up before turning into atmosphere. The circle began to pulsate, and Professor Membrane had to shield his eyes, turning back from the camera when the glass shattered.

 

“I am your contracted Mistress, your powers are mine unless I say otherwise.” Gaz spoke to him in a harsh whisper against his ear. “You will pay for making me do this, Avery Lycroft.” She then bit her lip, hard enough to make herself bleed before crushing her lips against his and doing the same. The kiss was forceful and rough, making Avery weak from the intensity. When she removed her lips from his she smirked. “Nothing will break this contract.”

 

Avery was reeling, the last thing he saw was her eyes flash before he passed out once more.

 

* * *

 

 

The manic laughter was like music to his antennae, Red was enjoying every note, every excited chirp and content sigh that escaped her mouth. He watched Runa with an amused stare as she battled with some prisoners he claimed to be traitors to the Empire. No matter how hard they fought she ripped through them with a vengeful grace.

 

Ever since they left the control brains the hybrid was like one of his own loyal soldiers, and he made sure she was treated as such to keep up the façade. Every Irken on the planet now knew what would happen if they tried to mess with the illusion that Runa was anything other than what was programmed into her. Red kept her close to study her changes, only to find out that the PAK took as it should, and everything she knew before the download was wiped away for good. Zim was the enemy, Red was the ally. He made sure to cover every base, to make a memory that had no holes in its history. She was a human who was abducted by the evil Zim, experimented on and made into what she is. Sent to the Tallests in hopes of redemption but instead of being used, she was nurtured, treated like one of their own and became a part of their society.

 

Runa was now his. Every part of her was loyal to him, and whatever connection she had to Zim was now shattered and tainted by a beautiful lie.

 

A beautiful lie that was becoming an irresistible truth. The more he watched her violent manner, the more she acted passionately, the more he felt lured to the woman. Even now, he could feel the need to share her pleasure in the bloodshed. Eventually he left the viewing room to don his old Irken Elite armor. It was almost nostalgic, and he grinned, stepping into the arena with her as soon as the last traitor was killed.

 

“My Tallest,” Runa dropped the Irken’s head once she saw him enter, kneeling down to salute him.

 

“Stand.” He commanded, watching as she obeyed. “Call me Red.” He smirked at her, kneeling down to pick up a weapon, matching the sword that she had.

 

Without another word they attacked each other, the sound of their blades connecting reverberating off the arena walls. Their battle was a dance of power and madness, neither of them afraid to scar the other. Soon the weapons were tossed aside in preference for their own hands, their bodies moving and swaying to the beat of unseen drums until their bodies intertwined, exchanging bloodied kisses and lust-fuelled bites to flesh. They were then on the floor, each struggling for dominance as their bodies joined in a feverish union, each trying to overwhelm the other. Eventually they were both beaten, their climax washing over them until their bodies were wracked with fatigue.

 

Red let out a small chuckle, reaching over to trap her lips in another kiss. “You’re mine.”

 

* * *

 

 

Avery couldn’t move, Avery couldn’t talk. He was bound to a pole, a strip of duct tape slapped over his mouth.

 

 _‘What is going on?’_ He called out to someone, anyone.

 

A pain suddenly erupted as someone grabbed a handful of his hair, pulling his head back roughly. “You’re only to speak when you’re allowed to, understand?” The voice was rough and demanding with a feminine lilt, and Avery swallowed nervously. Of all the people to be contracted to…

 

“Good.” Gaz let go of Avery’s head and moved away, coming back with a black ring. She knelt down and slid it around his neck, snapping it shut.

 

Avery felt it, wincing as it pinched just slightly and moving his hands up to feel the cold metal around his neck. He tried to move his hands but they were set above his head. He watched Gaz take out a small controller, waving it in front of him. “When you disobey me I can punish you easily.” She smiled, it was a dark and evil smile full of delight.

 

 _‘I’m not a toy or a pet!’_ Avery shouted in her mind in anger, but cried out again, feeling a sparkling fire that entered his body and ended as soon as it came.

 

Gaz put the controller away and stepped closer to him. “You’re more powerful than you think, Lycroft. If I hadn’t done what I did you could have had the chance to destroy everything. I know my brother wasn’t able to control you. This is the only way I can think of to curb yourself.”

 

 _‘By what, torturing me? I went through enough with this with Red.’_ Even the memories made him shudder, praying that this wasn’t the same.

 

When he spoke Gaz’s eye twitched, but she let it slide, noticing the reaction he had. With a frown she moved to caress his cheek. Upon touching him, she could see everything he went though. Her hand shook in a rage, “I’m not Red.” Taking a hold of his chin and tilting his head up, she met him eye to eye. “I would never torture you that way. This is a technique to control your outbursts, not you.”

 

Avery tried to hold back the tears, he desperately tried but they let go, and he felt the anger that came with it. _‘I want to kill him…’_

 

Gaz gasped, feeling the pull inside of her that was his power. She quickly smacked him and took out the device. “This is the thing I’m trying to control!” She held it towards him, “Your emotions are tied to your abilities. You need to be trained!” She zapped him again, giving him another taste of what the electro-collar can do. “Every time you lash out, every time you are anything but calm I’m going to remind you why it’s not allowed.” She hissed, “I am your Mistress, I control your abilities and I’ll be damned if you get to the point that you can overpower me!”

 

After Avery screamed he nodded, his nerve ending flaring in pain. _‘Yes.’_

 

“Yes what?”

 

 _‘…Yes Mistress.’_ He managed to grate out, not at all feeling keen to this.

 

* * *

 

 

An Irken Elite was a highly respected member of the Irken Military. Red thought that if Runa had been Irken, she would have been one of the highest ranking. So far, the fact that he had been thinking about his new little project constantly hadn’t crossed his mind, aside from frequent comments from figments in his reflection. He denied it of course, ignoring the warnings of his own psyche in preference in watching Runa practice her skills with other Irken Elite.

 

The final step of the plan was approaching, but Red was considering on going a different route. With Runa under his control he was supposed to begin experiments. Extract her genetics and merge them with his own. Extracting the other hybrid’s genetic material only ended up in failure, when the material mysteriously exploded under observation. Runa was more subservient to his command without any need to use other methods. He could get his proverbial cake and eat it too, and perhaps if he played his cards right he could have her put Zim to death personally.

 

The dark childish laughter made shivers run down his spine and he touched the window, focusing on her.

 

 _‘You’re infatuated with the hybrid.’_ Domino’s visage commented casually. Red hissed at the image.

 

_‘Admit it. Admit that you want the human for more than an experiment.’_

 

Red hissed again and hit the window, glad it was only a one way mirror. “Alright fine, you want to know? I want her. I didn’t expect that this female was going to be so dangerous and crazy and that infatuates me!” He glared at Domino, and the Irken before him only chuckled.

 

_‘Insanity attracted to insanity… I hope you fall so hard you break.’_

 

_‘You’ll break if you don’t.’_

 

Suddenly the image was Purple, looking at Red with a deceived expression. He looked straight at Red, and the Tallest was frozen in his spot.

 

“Pur… I’m sorry.”

 

Purple’s gaze softened after a while and he smiled sadly. _‘You couldn’t protect me.’_ His eyes became hard then, _‘You’re going to break. If you don’t have anyone to lean on then you’re going to shatter. Domino and the hybrid male, you’re looking for something to keep you together.’_

 

Red didn’t understand what Purple was saying, looking down at his fist and slamming it into the glass again, causing it to crack. “I could have protected you!” He shouted, “I could have saved you! I’m not breaking!”

 

Purple shook his head, _‘Don’t break. If you break the Empire falls.’_

 

As if by clockwork Runa came out to check the glass, stopping at the sight of Tallest Red and looking quite alarmed at his bleeding claws. “My tallest!” As she moved forward she ran though Purple’s visage, and he disappeared.

 

“Runa…” Red watched as she tore a strip of her uniform to mend his claw temporarily.

 

“I’m taking you to the medics. Why are you even here, don’t you have work to do?” She talked to him as if there were no class difference. He designed it that way. A faint smile formed on his face while he let her lead. In her memory they trained together, in her memory she knew everything about him.

 

“I’m completely fine.” He moved his hand away from hers, causing her to look slightly concerned. Instead of explaining Red leaned forward to kiss her deeply.

 

“Bear my offspring.”

 

* * *

 

 

Domino wasn’t happy when he reached the Resisty base.

 

No, that wasn’t right, he was furious.

 

“Where’s the hybrid?” He demanded the first person to meet him, which was poor Lard-Nar. The Vortian looked completely confused and out of the loop.

 

“Which one?”

 

Domino slapped himself in the face with his own claw. “The male. The male that was in my ship until someone broke in and stole him!” He hissed out, “CRUX!” He called, not waiting for an answer.

 

The heavily scarred Irken was soon at his side, picking at his own claws without a real concern of his boss’s temper. “Yeh what? I’m keepin’ an eye on things like you said.”

 

Domino folded his arms, “The hybrid male. My indicators say he’s right—”

 

“Are you looking for Avery?”

 

Domino’s eyes broke away from Crux and pinned themselves on a hooded figure with a dark violet glow where the eyes would be. When the hands moved up to take the hood off the light reviled Gaz’s face.

 

Domino felt an unsettling twinge at the fact that her eyes stared right through him, but he managed to keep his composure. “You’re the thing that took him from me, aren’t you?”

 

“He wasn’t yours to begin with.” Gaz’s gaze didn’t break and a small grin formed on her face. It made Domino hiss out but something told him that striking her would mean his own death.

 

“Avery needs to be contracted with someone powerful enough to handle him.” Gaz continued, knowing his frustration. “You aren’t powerful, you would have lost your sanity in seconds.”

 

Domino glared at her, “I don’t know what you are….and perhaps I don’t want to know, but either way I need that hybrid. The Resisty needs to bring Red down, do you understand this?” He took a breath and tried to let go of his anger, little by little. “If he succeeds to make a more perfect Irken do you know what it will mean for everyone? The Empire doesn’t need to become any more powerful than it is already! Invading won’t be enough for them, they will want to cross breed with every other race to see how far they can go.”

 

Gaz didn’t look all that empathetic to his concerns, but then she had a poker face to beat all.

 

“Everyone will become a genetic experiment.” Avery’s voice cut in, and Gaz turned around to see Avery looking quite disturbed. “I don’t want my sister to go through that again and I damn well won’t let anyone else go through it either.”

 

Domino watched him, an antennae quirking upward. “Again?”

 

Gaz frowned, “Avery.”

 

He held his hand up in front of Gaz and took a breath, “We were born out of desperation, my father and mother created clones of themselves due to their infertility, and apparently they gotten help from aliens. We became the product of the aliens’ genetic material and our parents’ cells. But while we were infants our parents were killed by someone they assumed to be a friend. After that we became experiments. The man who took care of us, Zachariah Genesis, wanted to create the perfect human.” Avery stopped, his eye twitching at a memory. “He meant for us to become prototypes, the first two advanced humans that would help him wipe out the world and make the new one, where he was in control. When we became older and Runa began to get a conscience, she refused to kill for him. He took that as her being flawed and planned to kill her and start over…

 

“I got to him before that.”

 

Domino grimaced at the story, sighing and moving to lay a hand on the other’s shoulder. “The Empire is like that man you speak of. Red might kill that woman if she isn’t what he thought she would be. I normally don’t request help but I want to give you a choice. Will you assist the Resisty in overthrowing Red? It will mean safety for your sister and many other innocent people caught in his madness.”

 

Avery was quiet, looking briefly at Gaz before looking towards the rest of the Resisty village. It was horribly depressing, and a picture of how bad the Empire was if there were people trying to stop it. He nodded after a moment, and Gaz sighed.

 

“I won’t allow Avery to get into any situations where he needs to use his ability. We are trying to calm that.”

 

“Hey, if it means saving my sister I will do what I damn will have to!” Avery shouted, but regretted it immediately when he was grabbed by his collar, wincing. “Ow-ow okay okay!”

 

Gaz glared dangerously, “Apologize.”

 

He glanced at Domino and then back to her, “Do I—“ Tug. “—I—I’m sorry, Mistress.”

 

Domino couldn’t help but snicker at that, and in turn he was glared at by both of them. He held his hands up in protest and backed away from the two, making his way towards the biggest tent.

 

“I’m telling you that’s a one-way ticket to death!” Dios shouted, “We wouldn’t even get past the guards!”

 

“I know the palace like the back of my hand.” Zim grinned, leaning back on a chair. “All we need is a distraction and everything would go easy-peasy!”

 

Domino slipped in, watching Lard-Nar, Dios and Zim among the rest of the Resisty. Dib wasn’t happy at all, standing at Zim’s side.

 

“I’m not going to—” Dib started but Zim cupped his hand over Dib’s mouth.

 

“Hush worm child, no hyuuman is going to tell me what to do.” When Dib glared at Zim he stared back just as seriously. “I am the scientist on this planet Dib-mate, and what I found in the virus I know I can alter to poison the Control Brains.”

 

Dios had his hand on his chin in thought, nodding every so often. “So if we poison the brains then Red will be helpless.”

 

“If we poison the Control Brains the entire Empire will be helpless.” Domino snapped his fingers, but then realized he had two… He grimaced and ignored it, moving on. “Those things are the ultimate control when it comes to Irk and the Empire, seeding them with a virus will very well debilitate Irkens everywhere…” He thought about it for a while, then looked at the Irkens in the tent. “We will survive.”

 

“Yes!” Zim hissed out with a grin, “Now, give Zim the prototype virus.”

 

“Zim we have to make you immune to it first. We had to downgrade our PAKS for this!” Dios stopped him before Zim went for the tent opening.

 

Zim smacked his hand away and laughed. “Foolish DEEos. The bastards up there already have done that, my PAK is offline and only functioning components are my core lifelines.”

 

“We still have to—”

 

“SILENCE!” He stopped anyone else from speaking, flicking his antennae and leaving.

 

Dib looked at the rest of them and shrugged helplessly, “I’ll try to talk to him.” He mumbled, running out after him.

 

Domino groaned, “You gave leadership of the Resisty to an idiot.”

 

 

 

Dib tried to talk to him, it took the man at least two hours until Dib was able to convince Zim to at least take some form of antidote before he allowed Zim to handle the dangerous substance. When Zim kicked him out of the tent he was working in all he had to do was wait.

 

Zim in the meanwhile, analyzed every part of the virus and its components. Donned with goggles and safety gloves, he spent over five days separating the virus into all of its parts and worked to make it even more susceptible, but sadly his results were failing left and right.

 

When he was a scientist he was one of the most intelligent ones in the Tallest’s eyes…before he accidentally killed her and was demoted. The fact that his research was failing made him irritated and confused. There was something missing from his research.

 

His train of thought was broken when Avery stepped into the tent, also looking irritated. “Get out, I’m the fucking scientist in this group and the longer I have to listen to your boyfriend complain about you and your ego, I’m going to tie those antennae of yours together and hang you from the highest point in the universe.”

 

Zim turned to hiss at him, “Stupid hybrid meatbag, I’m undergoing a very serious experiment—hey-OW!” His goggles were pulled back and he winced when they snapped back onto his face. Avery then shoved him aside so he could step up to the table, taking a look at what was there and sighing.

 

Zim’s eye twitched at that, the bubbling rage he held for the hybrid boiling over and he screamed, diving onto Avery and attempting to scratch his eyes out.

 

Avery yelped and kicked the other in the gut, wincing when Zim swiped at his face and caught his cheek. He cried out when Zim’s claws dug into his skin and shoved him away forcefully. The two continued to fight, trying to injure the other until Zim finally overwhelmed Avery and pinned him, hissing and panting in rage, staring down at him like a viper waiting to strike.

 

“The Dib Sister has made you weak, you disgusting creature. Can’t even use your abilities anymore, can you?” He smirked, glancing at the collar Avery wore. The man below him sneered with hatred, glaring up at Zim. His hands were pinned over his head, and Zim’s free hand moved to touch the other’s bleeding cheek, staring at the blood for quite a while before reaching up to the table, blindly searching for something until he found it and brought it back down. It was a syringe. “Perhaps you can help.” Zim mumbled before stabbing Avery with the syringe, making the other scream out as he extracted out a mixture of blood and cells. When he had enough he got up, nudging the other over with his foot and returning to the table.

 

Avery stayed on the ground and took a breath, hissing out in pain and moving his hand to press against the bleeding area. “You…you are worse than Red, you know that?” He sat up, soon getting to his feet before actually catching what Zim was doing. “What the hell—you’re using my blood in that?”

 

“Quiet meatbag,” Zim hissed, focusing on the virus samples and the blood. “Your Meekrob genetics are manipulating the virus. You may not be so useless after all.”

 

Avery grunted and waited until Zim stopped, tapping him on the shoulder afterwards. “What?”

 

Zim didn’t expect the slam of the fist to his gut and fell over, hollering after Avery when the hybrid left with a small grin on his face.


	15. Error

The virus had altered itself perfectly with Avery’s genetic material inside of it, and when Zim was done he made sure to gloat about being a genius.

 

Avery wanted to beat him up but Gaz was there, stopping his chances.

 

The last leg of the plan was to get the virus in the palace, to get to Irk and cause enough distraction for Zim to go ahead and make his way to the Control Brains. Dios volunteered to accompany him, just to have back up and make sure if Zim was caught there would be someone to carry on the job.

 

Domino threw his metaphorical hat in the ring as well, and Avery, despite Gaz’s stare down, needed to go in for Runa. Dib wanted to join in as well, but Zim forbidden him into stepping into Irk again. Without a word, Lard-Nar took his place.

 

The plan was as follows: Avery was the bait, and Domino along with Lard-Nar were the keepers of the bait; Domino being the ‘mediator’ as Lard-Nar was to offer up a deal. Domino, still being a Tallest, would be able to get them into the palace. Dios and Zim were to be under the radar, sneaking into the palace under Zim’s personal knowledge of the building. When they were inside Avery would create a distraction. Lard-Nar and Domino would overtake Red then, and with Red and the Brains down the Irken military would be helpless.

 

Or at least, that’s how they assumed the plan would have gone.

 

It actually went like this; Red was so paranoid of all three of them that they were jumped. Avery was taken away, and Lard-Nar and Domino were locked up in a cellblock. Zim and Dios were on their own, keeping themselves hidden away in the shadows and waiting.

 

Thankfully Gaz was with them, having the ability to meld with the shadows, she took it upon herself to free Domino and Lard-Nar first.

 

“You’re both idiots.” She mumbled from under her hood.

 

Domino glared at her, rubbing his wrist after being released from the shackles. “Thank-you-very-much also.”

 

“If Avery is harmed in any way you two will pay for the damages.” She hissed, glaring at both of them. Lard-Nar felt a chill go down his spine and Domino looked away from her. Without any other words they proceeded to make their way out.

 

* * *

 

 

Runa was on her last strand of patience as she hooked Avery up to the restraints. “If you try and speak to me again I will cut off your tongue.” She hissed at him. Runa was part of the group who jumped him, being told he was needed for an experiment. Red was with her after locking up the other two, and her words made him chuckle.

 

“YOU DID THIS TO HER!” Avery shouted out, pulling against his restraints and trying to lunge at Red, but all he could do was wiggle about. When his sister was finished she went over to Red to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

 

“Good luck with whatever you’re doing but if I have to hear this one’s voice much longer I might kill him.”

 

Red purred at that and ran claws though her hair, capturing another kiss before she left, giving Avery a deadly glare.

 

Avery was doing his best to try and get free, “That PAK….you brainwashed her, didn’t you? YOU DID THIS!” He snarled.

 

Red chuckled again, snapping his fingers for the scientists to begin. “She’s just the beginning. Once I have you under my grasp we can begin our goal of creating the perfect Irken. Runa will become the first to carry an Irken-Meekrob hybrid and you will be providing the seed for volunteers who will offer to bare your offspring. All we need to do is make you pliable…perhaps your memory will be that of a breeding specimen.”

 

 _“All you are is an experiment.”_ He could hear the words in his head clear, as if Zachariah was right next to him. Immediately he felt like he was ten again, crying alone in a room, three people tied up on the wall in front of him.

 

_“Just do it, Avery. Do as you're told and you can leave the room.”_

 

_“I don’t wanna!” Avery cried, hearing the pleas and prayers from the minds of the persons before him. They were all bound and gagged, but he can hear their cries. He can hear their pain._

 

_“Avery…”_

 

_He knew the voice of disappointment and he couldn’t stand it, uncurling from his spot in the room he stood up and sniffled, trying to ignore the whimpers and looks from the people before him and shutting his eyes. He focused hard, finding the heart of the first one and with a cry the organ burst, the first man dying immediately. The second person screamed from behind their gag but followed when their brain ruptured, blood trickling down her nose.The third wasn’t so lucky, and felt her lungs become tightened and tightened before they were crushed under an invisible grip._

 

_When the room finally became quiet Avery felt numb. He did what he was supposed to do, and it made him feel nothing._

 

_“That’s a good boy, and because you were a good boy Runa will be let out of the cage.”_

 

“Runa…” Avery’s eyes were cloudy with tears. He felt the restraints tighten and shut his eyes. He couldn’t do anything, he felt entirely helpless.

 

“Hook him up.” Red commanded, standing at the console to get a good view.

 

Avery could hear gears whirring and metal on metal, but soon a strong piercing feeling blinded him and he screamed, his eyes flying open while his arms and legs pulled hard at their restraints. The PAK was drilling into him and he didn’t want it. He didn’t want this!

 

_‘You’re just an experiment. Just give in.’_

 

“No. No!” He shouted back at the voice, “I’m not something to test. I’m not something to play with. I’m not something to experiment on!”

 

It was then something snapped inside of him, something new and unknown flooding his whole entire body and he screamed for a new reason, flashes of existences and time and space flooding his vision before his body flared up in an invisible fire. “I AM NOT YOUR TOY!” He shouted at Red, his eyes flashing red. It caught Red and his scientists off guard.

 

Snap. The PAK was on.

 

Snap. Avery was alive.

 

He screamed in rage, the new feeling engulfing him and the invisible fire turning into electricity, and what was going into the PAK was pushed out in tenfold, the scientists at their consoles crying out as they were caught in the explosions and electrical glitches. One by one they were brought down, and Red went into panic, trying to stop the PAK integration.

 

“You will die.” Avery was murmuring to himself, raising his hand and twisting, feeling an invisible chain shatter away before throwing Red against the wall, his shoulder being bludgeoned by a piece of equipment.

 

* * *

 

 

Sirens were blaring and the intercom spoke of chaos in Laboratory C2. Zim and Dios emerged from the dark corners and used that moment to head for the Control Brains. What they didn’t realize was that the chaos was Avery, having massacred all of the scientists in the entire Lab.

 

Across the palace Gaz screamed out, doubling over in pain and making Domino and Lard-Nar stop running.

 

“He—broke the contract.” Gaz struggled to get herself up and began to run as fast as she could. “Come on assholes, Avery’s self-destructing!”

 

“WE’RE GONNA DIE!” Lard-Nar added in a panic, rushing after her and Domino.

* * *

 

 

Runa was on her way to the lunchroom until the sirens exploded in alert, “Red!” She saw the soldiers running towards her and turned to run with them, “I want everyone guarding the exits, no one gets out and if My Tallest gets hurt I will deal with them myself!”

 

* * *

 

 

Avery was screaming, his cries echoing through the entire chamber as the electric pulses flowed through his body. Red was in panic, trying to get out while the others were attempting to get in but it was no use, the door refused to open. The longer Avery was hooked up to the PAK the more he resisted, and suddenly the PAK exploded and Avery stopped, slumping over lifelessly.

 

Red pressed himself against the wall, holding his bloodied arm close to him. He could hear his mate and his guards trying to get the door open. Bodies of the scientists were strewn about the laboratory and he wondered why he was spared.

 

Although when everything seemed to have gone quiet Avery began to stir again, his hunched over body straightening and rising to its feet. When his eyes opened they were glowing a pure white light.

 

That white light made Red’s skin prickle, he knew the light. It was the Meekrob glow.

 

“I can see it all…” Avery said to himself, “I can see everything. All that is. All that was. All that ever could be.” His hands were shaking as he brought them up to his head. “My kind. I can see our creation, I can see our demise. I can see…” He looked up at Red and sneered, his eyes burning with hatred and rage, “I can see you. Destroying my people. Your hands on the cannon YOUR HANDS DESTROYING EVERYTHING WE WORKED FOR.”

 

Before Red knew it he felt a force thrown against his throat, strangling him. From the window Runa was screaming, throwing herself at the glass before she was yanked back and Gaz stepped forward, spin-kicking the door and not batting an eyelash when it was blasted off its hinges. “Avery!” She shouted, “Stand down right now!”

 

Avery could feel the chains slipping around him but he laughed, raising his arms and snapping them away. “No. I won’t be controlled. I can feel my kind, they want retribution!”

 

Red struggled against the invisible force before it was ripped away by Gaz, “Get him out of here now!” She commanded the others, taking stand in front of the door while Runa dragged Red out with her, running off with Domino and Lard-Nar. “Avery, come out of this. Obey your mistress!”

 

Avery flicked another ethereal chain away from his shoulder and shook his head, “There is no Mistress, there is no control. There is only decades of pure isolation and regret.” He began to walk, ignoring her and making his way towards the door. “I will do what my ancestors couldn’t. Yes, I will rid ourselves of the Empire, I will make it so there is no more death, no more desolation.”

 

Gaz became angry, hating to be ignored and she blocked him. “You’re not getting past me.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Where is Zim and Dios?” Domino asked Lard-Nar as they ran down the hallway. “They should be meeting us by now!”

 

“It shouldn’t take that long to reach the control brains and administer the virus.”

 

“Virus—“ Runa stopped immediately and held Red close to her, pulling out a gun. “Resisty scum, you first attempt to kill my mate and now you’re trying to assassinate my leaders!”

 

“Runa!” Domino shouted, glaring at her. “Snap out of it!”

 

Her hand was shaking but Runa began to back away, letting go of Red when he finally felt that he could stand. “Red…”

 

“Runa, we can’t stay here.” Red breathed, “Trust them for now—we can’t—“

 

“Our leaders!” She interrupted, grasping his hand with her free one and still aiming at Domino and Lard-Nar. “We have to stop this! Who knows what the virus will do to us!”

 

“We have to get out of here!” Red shouted, “Who knows what that hybrid will do to me!”

 

Lard-Nar was getting nervous, being on the opposite end of a gun, but Domino was keeping his cool. He moved forward.

 

“We don’t have time, Runa. I’m sure you want Red to stay safe, do you? We have to leave the palace or else he will be killed.”

 

Runa looked to her mate, and then down the hall to where she knew the control brains were. In a split second she leaned up to kiss Red swiftly. “Go with them!” She commanded, taking off down the hall.

 

* * *

 

 

Zim was hiding, staring at Dios’ bludgeoned corpse with a frightened twitch to his eyes. The plan was so damn simple, how could it have fallen apart this way? The virus was administered where it was supposed to be, and the brains were supposed to die immediately. Instead the room lit up and they awakened, lashing out with their tentacles. Only Zim was able to make it out alive, but now he was locked in the room with them, trying to keep himself from ending up the same way.

 

Maybe it was the virus itself, he frowned. He took some DNA from Avery and fused it with the concoction, wondering if the Meekrob genetics would evolve the virus and perfect it. True, he took it without asking but he wanted to make sure there were no way in hell that the brains would be revived.

 

“So that’s what you did, defective.”

 

The voice made Zim peek out and immediately he was captured, the tentacles snaking around his midsection and threatening to tighten. He cursed, “I did what was necessary.” Zim shouted out. “Stop reading my mind, that’s creepy!” He added for good measure.

 

“We are BRAINS, you ignorant fool. That is what we do.” The other one spoke up.

 

Zim felt something prod his PAK and squirmed, trying to get himself out of the binds. “He-hey! Stop that!”

 

“A defective is a perfect host, don’t you think?” One brain inquired, and soon Zim was screaming, one of the tentacles having shoved itself into Zim’s PAK and burrowing into the ports. When his body went limp the tentacle began to pulsate, downloading the virus straight into Zim’s PAK and snapping away, letting the body drop carelessly.

 

Runa had finally broken the door from its hinges and stumbled in, Lard-Nar was in a second later and screeched, running to the bodies and dropping to his knees. “NO!”

 

Red and Domino were the last to enter, Domino being struck by the sight and hissing out, glaring at the control brains, “YOU DID THIS!” He shouted, taking out one of his blades, “By all that is good I will fucking rip you apart!”

 

Runa was stunned by the sight, unable to speak. She felt arms wrap around her midsection.

 

“DIOS!” Lard-Nar screamed again, grabbing hold of the body and holding it close, tears streaming down his face.

 

“This…this are the things you’re trying to save?” Domino hissed at Runa and Red, glaring at them both.

 

The more Runa stared at Zim’s body, something flickered in her eyes. She stepped forward, unfolding the arms that held her and soon rushing over to Zim and collapsing in front of him. She reached out and touched his face, “Z…Zim.” She choked, something inside of her shattering, and suddenly she reached out and grasped him, pulling the Irken close to her chest.

 

“You are all fools to think you can overtake the Empire.” A brain laughed, and Domino snarled, charging at the one that spoke. He was caught before he could stab the brain with his blade, a few tentacles wrapping around him before one jammed itself into his PAK, making Domino scream out.

 

“Another defective, perfect…” The same brain purred out, squeezing the tentacles around the body until Domino fell limp.

 

“Dom!” Lard-Nar shouted, running for the body as it was released to fall to the floor.

 

Red was stuck in the doorway, his eyes glued to everything that was happening. He couldn’t understand it, he never thought he would see it. Everything that had happened was now hitting him at light speed, and he collapsed to his knees. Realization was finally dawning on him, his mind was finally coming back to reality and it was beginning to hurt.

 

 _‘Breaking, breaking…I told you the Empire would fall.’_ Purple’s voice echoed in his head, and he screamed.

 

Runa was conscious, wincing at the scream and burying her head in Zim’s chest. “Please don’t be dead…” She whispered, closing her eyes. She could feel something stirring, and a touch… hands curling around her sides and a whisper in Irken meeting her ear. When Runa opened her eyes Zim was staring back at her, though his red eyes were different, holding a green tint around the pupil.

 

“Zim?” Runa asked, moving her hand to his face.

 

“Tallest Zim.” He corrected her, his metallic voice low. “They have chosen Zim.” He grinned then, “Runa-pet, come back to Zim.”

 

Runa fell quiet for a moment, watching Zim’s eyes before something inside her screamed out a warning. “Are you really Zim?” She asked, wincing when he felt his claws dig into her sides. “Zim!”

 

The Irken hissed at her and shoved his lips against hers in a demanding kiss, holding her forcefully against him. “You belong to Zim, remember? Submit to Us, We want you back.”

 

Runa struggled before she felt something else grab onto her, and she cried out when Red pulled her away from Zim and snarled at him, “She is MY MATE.” He shouted.

 

Zim didn’t look bothered, standing up and grinning widely at him. “Runa belongs to Zim. Zim is her master.”

 

A scream broke their attention and Lard-Nar stumbled away from Domino, holding his chest as it leaked blood. He stared wide-eyed at Domino and gasped out for air before collapsing to the floor.

 

Domino only chuckled, tossing the blade to the side and turning his attention to the rest of them, waving slightly. “Red.” His purple eyes were altered, a red ring outlining the pupil. “I believe you should be dead right now.”

 

Red looked from both Domino and Zim and held on tighter to Runa, backing out of the door before grasping her hand and dragging her down the hall. “Shit shit shit.”

 

“What’s going on?” Runa cried out, her memories were fluctuating, battling with each other and fighting for supremacy, but no matter what, Red came out as her mate.

 

“The brains downloaded themselves into those idiots!” He shouted back, skidding to a stop when he remembered what they were running from in the first place. “We have to get out of here.” He winced when he saw the bright light, seeing Avery walking in the distance. “Your brother wants me dead, if you don’t remember.”

 

“Avery!” Runa’s exclamation made Red’s eyes widen.

 

“Runa...”

 

“Avery!” Runa pulled herself away from Red and ran over to her brother, only to be blown back and over the side of the wall.

 

“Runa!” Red cried out, taking no thought in diving down after her, extending his PAK legs and catching her before they collided with the ground floor.

 

Avery looked down from the ledge and laughed softly at the sight. “You can’t run from me… I am the rage, and the bile, and the ferocity. I am the Prince, and the fool, and the agony. I am the sin, and the fire, and the darkness! I shall never die. The thought of me is forever: in the bleeding hearts of men, in their vanity, obsession, and lust. Nothing shall ever destroy me—”

 

He dropped then, Domino appearing behind him with a metal pipe. He and Zim stood over him and they both grinned, “Nothing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry the last line was a Doctor Who reference. :)


End file.
